Waiting On The World To Change
by Claireabellalou
Summary: What happens when the Ministry forces all previous seventh years to go back to Hogwarts and gain their N.E.W.T.s? Eighth year, that's what happens. Lots of Theodore and Hermione fluff (maybe even some smut too!) probably some Ron bashing at some point. No Dark Lords, no masked Death Eaters and no Horcruxes just the past scars and the future to deal with along with House Unity!
1. Chapter 1

It had been on that infamous first journey to Hogwarts when they were but eleven years old when Hermione Granger and Theodore Nott first met.

She had walked into his carriage on the train, the only occupied one as it were since they were both so early, her due to excitement, that much was obvious. Him, well, he never exactly said. It's not like he wasn't excited that is, this was the first time he was going off to Hogwarts; something he had looked forward to for years, his excitement just didn't match hers. Though to be fair probably nobody's did.

"Umm this carriage is taken." He had managed to stammer out. It was clear even then he was a shy and nervous boy, pretty much the total opposite of the girl standing in front of him.

"This is a big carriage and I only see you in here. Besides, there's nobody else here yet." She replied as if that wasn't his exact point.

Theo had tried to dissuade the small girl with fuzzy brown curls and buck teeth as much as he could but there was no stopping her. She was about as determined as they come. After they both dressed in their school robes, still painfully early, still the only other two people on the train - or the platform for that matter since neither of their parents had stuck around once their children retreated inside - Hermione had noticed a book Theo must have been reading before she came into the carriage and upon seeing the title 'Hogwarts. A History' she burst into a long list of facts about the castle, her favourite paragraphs and pieces of history of what she deemed the 'most exciting place in the world'. Theo didn't disagree and shy as he was he felt comfortable enough with this strange girl to talk and so the pair of them sat together discussing what they thought and hoped the coming year would include long after the train left the station.

They both briefly left the carriage at some point, returning to spend the last couple of hours of their journey eating their way through sugar quills and chocolate frogs before they finally arrived at the castle.

They had been about to climb aboard the boats that would get them across the river when Theo realised he didn't even know this girls name. He had assumed that she was pureblood due to her knowledge of their world, knowledge that surpassed even his own and he was practically a prince to the rest of the wizarding world. He figured she was the daughter of some blood traitor family, sure he would have known her otherwise.

Holding his hand out as one would expect of a son of his birth right he offered her his hand and helped her into the boat, settling her down safely before he asked her name.

"You know, I feel like I should at least know the name of the first friend I have at Hogwarts." He said as he took the seat next to her letting a couple of other first years fill up the two remaining spaces.

"Oh! I didn't even realise. Hermione, I'm Hermione Granger." She beamed at him stretching her hand out for him to shake.

Of course though, being the son of the esteemed Rowley Nott, Theo knew better than to shake a lady's hand, even if that lady was only eleven years old. He took her hand gently in between the two of his and brought it to his mouth where he placed the gentlest of kisses against her fingers as she blushed fiercely. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Granger."

"Hermione, please. And of course it is a pleasure to meet you too Theodore Nott." She replied whilst he still had hold of her hand. It somehow felt safe there and she had no intention of removing it.

"You know who I am?" He asked her, eyebrow raised.

"Your name was in your book. I can read you know." She joked.

"Of course. Silly me. I didn't realise I should be guarding my possessions before we even got to the castle. It's a good job we won't be sharing a dormitory, I'm not sure I could handle my books' privacy being invaded as such." He replied with a smirk as she blushed a deeper shade of red. "If I'm to call you Hermione, you must call me Theo of course." He replied as he dropped their hands to the bench in between where they sat, still holding on to her fingers with one of his own hands.

"Theo." she repeated with a smile.

They had spent the next hour talking nervously about what would happen that evening, he had told her he thought she would make a perfect Ravenclaw, she had agreed and thought he would too. That only earned her a sombre expression.

They carried on holding hands until her name had been called out and the sorting hat was placed on her head, he noted she was almost a hatstall but the second the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR" he knew it was over. He was headed for Slytherin he was sure of it, there had never been a Nott who wasn't in Slytherin and Slytherin's and Gryffindor's didn't mix. Not in a friendly manner at least. And so it was a dejected Theo Nott who stood up a couple of sortings later and was, predictably, sorted into Slytherin where he spent the evening mulling over the loss of his first friend in Hogwarts. Probably his first real friend in well, ever, if he was to be honest. He had barely known her and yet missed her terribly. He especially missed how safe he felt when he held her hand.

It had been a few weeks later when word got out that the bushy haired, buck toothed little Gryffindor who had no friends and was top of every class was in fact a muggle born witch. No, a _mudblood_ as Theo's father would have him think. It had been a shock to almost everyone and Theo was definitely among his classmates who were wide eyed at the revelation. She had just seemed to know so much they all assumed she came from a respected background. Or, at the very least, was a half blood.

Theo, of course, had been raised by a man who despised muggle's and any and all things to do with them. Muggle born's; mudblood's, were second in that list only to muggle's themselves. Rowley Nott had not been shy in teaching his son his own beliefs and so, at the end of a belt, and eventually, a wand, Nott Snr taught his son everything he could about muggle borns.

He taught him to hate them, despise them, spit on them. He taught him they were filthy, magic stealing thieves who wanted to take over their world. He taught him they had no rights to a wand, less so than house elves and goblins even. He taught him to recoil at the mere thought of being in proximity to one. That they were a few cauldrons short of a potions lab, so to speak. That they were dumber than even mountain trolls and as ugly as a three headed dog. That they smelt like hags and didn't know what soap was. But most of all, Rowley Nott, and many other pureblood parents, taught his son that their blood was filthy and he was to never, under any circumstances, ever, to engage in any way with one lest he blacken the family name. It was all in the name of course. Mudblood. _Mud. Blood. Dirty blood._

What Theodore Nott's father did forget to do however was think to introduce his son, heir and last scion of his ancient and noble house, to a muggle born. Had his father done that maybe his views would have been different. Had his father brought him to the filthy, stinking, dumb, magic thief he was brought up to believe they were, Theo might have believed it.

Had Hermione Granger, his first friend, sweet, talkative, a thirst for knowledge with wild crazy hair who happened to make him smile and held his hand so easily that first day not been the first muggle born he met, he might have even believed all the bullshit that had been forced upon him. However as it was, when he found out her true blood status he smiled for the first time since he had held her hand in the great hall just before she was to be sorted. He smiled because he knew, just knew that this girl was going to change everything and that no matter what his father said any more, be it at the end of a wand or belt, he could never believe it any more than he believed the Chudley Cannons would win the next cup. To be honest, he doubted he ever truly believed it at all and that Halloween when saw her after fighting a mountain troll (the very thing his father said 'her kind' looked like though he rather thought she was kind of cute) and saw her blood, her _red_ blood, _red_. The same colour as his own, as his fathers and every other humans blood out there be it witch, wizard, Veela or Salazar, even a werewolf! They all had red blood and for the first time he smiled a true smile and hoped to merlin that he wasn't wrong about this witch. Wasn't wrong she was going to change their world and their views.

He wasn't disappointed.

That train journey to Hogwarts that first year had changed Theodore Nott's life. He suspected it changed the lives of many students but probably none more so than pureblood's and muggle borns' as both were thrust into a world they thought they knew only to find everything had all been a lie. One for the good and one for the bad.

Over the years Theo kept and eye on the girl who had held his hand and snooped through his books so easily that first day and as time went on he stopped seeing her as the cute bushy haired, buck toothed know-it-all eleven year old and watched her slowly develop into a teenager and then into the beautiful woman he knew she would be.

Looking back it was obvious to him that he was always attracted to Hermione in some way, right from that first day when he brought her fingers to his mouth and instead of dropping it gracefully like proprieties would have him do, he kept hold of her because it felt nice. Felt good. When it came to her it always felt good.

Except for when it didn't. When it came to watching her at the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum it started to feel a lot less good. When he saw her ginger friend salivating all over her any chance he could get it became even less good. When he found out she had been attacked, by Death Eaters, his father included, he felt sick but that wasn't even the worst of it. He had told himself over and over again that she was a smart girl, Gryffindor sure, best friend to the most reckless idiots ever, yes. But she was smart and he was counting on that keeping her alive long enough to survive the war.

When his best friend Draco Malfoy turned up at his house one night over the Easter holidays of what was supposed to be their seventh year and proceeded to get drunk on the most expensive Firewhiskey Theo had around before going into awfully vivid details of what had happened not even an hour before in his home it became worse. His home where he had to watch as Hermione Granger, fellow student, Harry Potter's best friend, muggle born, was tortured in front of him, was crucio'd and carved while he could do nothing but watch. He begged Theo to obliviate the memories and missed how his friend, who had somehow luckily managed to escape being marked so far, turned practically translucent at the thought of her going through so much. Missed how Theo's glass shattered in his hand accidentally. Missed how he threw up violently and only managed to settle down enough to grab the bottle and pour a quarter of the burning liquid down his throat before asking "Di..did she…is she…"

"Alive?" Draco finished for him. He didn't wait for Theo to answer before he answered his own question "She was. Barely. When they escaped." He said before pulling another bottle out of the cabinet and, like his friend, forgoing the glass since he had no intention of sharing the amber liquid. It became unbearable. He longed for the days where he could watch her studying in the library with nothing but O.W.L.s ahead of them he longed even for the Yule Ball, to see her happy on the arms of an international Quidditch player. Hell, he would even be happy to see her in the arms of Ronald bloody Weasley if he could take it all away. But he couldn't. He could only hope she was still Gryffindor enough to see this war through. Could only hope that one day when the war was eventually won, the memories would fade enough for the girl who was his first friend, fade to give her the relief he knew she would need. Fade enough so maybe, just maybe, one day she might let him hold her hand again and make her feel safe.


	2. Chapter 2

After the war was over there had been a lot of rebuilding to do in the wizarding community of Britain, Hogwarts was in ruins, the ministry had fallen, businesses all over had suffered to some extent and lives had been lost. So many lives.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were quickly deemed 'war hero's' and thrown in front of the media. They were presented with an order of merlin first class each and their Gringotts vaults held more galleons than they could ever spend in their life time. Maybe not even in two lifetimes. Kingsley Shacklebolt had quickly been named minister for magic and started the task of cleaning up the government. The first order of business being Hogwarts of course. The rebuilding of Britain's famous school of witchcraft and wizardry had begun almost immediately in the hopes it would be repaired for the coming September school year. Volunteers from all over the world came to help out as their way of giving thanks for saving wizarding kind, or in the hopes of getting an up close look at 'the golden trio' it was never quite clear but nevertheless less it was appreciated. It took over a month for the building to start taking shape again and another two more after that for it to be finished; looking exactly as it had not five months before.

There had to be new professor appointments and many muggle borns would be starting at age twelve instead of eleven since none of them had been allowed to attend the year prior. Sorting out the years had become a bit of a difficult task for Headmistress McGonagall and deputy head Professor Flitwick but they eventually decided that any children who had attended the year before would be allowed to move up except for the fifth years since they hadn't had a chance to sit their O.W.L.s which the government deemed mandatory.

It seemed the government also deemed it mandatory that no student was to leave school without completing seventh year and taking their N.E.W.T.s meaning many of the years would be blending together whilst others would be scarce. First year for example should theoretically have it usual amount of students plus all the muggle borns and half bloods who should have attended the year before. There would be no second year at all since the ones that had attended first year the year before had mostly stayed home after the Christmas holidays meaning they would have to redo the whole year. Third, fourth and fifth years should be around normal size and the sixth year class would consist of only the half blood and muggle borns that should have attended the year before whilst seventh year would have all the previous years class and the purebloods from the year below in attendance. It _should_ have been one of the larger classes but since so many of them had stayed behind to fight at the Battle of Hogwarts the number of students who would actually be returning for that year was only about half of what it should be. It did make dorm arrangements easier but it didn't help ease the mind that the professors _should_ be worrying about where to put the students.

It had been announced in the _Daily Prophet_ the same day the letters had been sent out to all the students. To say it had been a shock was an understatement. The golden trio themselves hadn't even been aware of the plan.

"This has got to be some sort of joke. They want us to go back?" Ron asked as he, Ginny, Harry and Hermione stood around the kitchen in The Burrow.

"We didn't graduate Ron, you can't just expect to walk into a job with no N.E.W.T.s. Besides, it will probably do us good to have a normal school year for once anyway." Hermione had replied.

"We saved the bloody whole of the wizarding world 'Mione and now they want us to go back to school! It's bloody preposterous!" He shouted.

"Woah there, hold up just a minute" Ginny said getting between the two friends "Ron, when the hell in Merlins name did you learn a word like preposterous?" She asked clearly shocked.

"Come off it Gin, we all know he's smarter than he looks. Helped saved the world and everything." Harry added with a smirk on his face, evidently returning to school for another year wasn't such a bad idea to him. "Besides, I agree with Hermione I wouldn't mind just one year of normal schooling for once. You know, no crazy wizards trying to steal the Philosophers Stone, no Chamber of Secrets and diaries and basilisk's, no escaped prisoners and hideaway animagi', no death eater imposters hell bent on putting me in a crazy dangerous competition just to get me killed. No dead champions. No nasty pink clad ministry bitches, sixth year wasn't so bad except for the whole world not believing me and that Half Blood Prince stuff where I nearly killed Malfoy then watched Dumbledore die. No horcruxes. No death eaters. No Tom fucking Riddle plotting how many ways he can kill me. You'd think for a man who was brought up in a muggle orphanage he'd see little one year old me in that cot and be like 'oh I know lets pick him up and throw him out of the window' or something, I mean, it would have been more effective wouldn't it? No wonder the nutcase didn't win in the end." He finished not realising his friends had fallen silent.

"Oh….erm…yeah I suppose so." Ron added nervously.

"Oooh look I don't have to redo sixth year I get to join you lot! Ooooh 'Mione we will be roommates again!" The red haired girl said excitedly as she bounced up and down.

"Sorry Gin, I got head girl. Get my own dorms. Or at least I get the choice, which I'll be accepting. Think I could do with the peace and quiet this year." Hermione replied hoping to let her friend down gently.

"Oh pants! Well, not to worry. Hey I bet Luna will be in our year now too. Ooooh I'm still a prefect. Cool!"

"I didn't get mine back. Thank Godric. Did any of you get a note off the Headmistress asking for a meeting?" Ron asked, clearly confused.

"Erm…yes I have one here."

"Me too."

"Me three. That's odd. Wonder what she wants."

It was a week later when the headmistress turned up as her note had said she would, for the meeting. She had clearly known some students wouldn't be as inclined to the new law as others were and had figured it would be wise to get the four of them on side. Especially as she needed to implement new ideas this coming year and would like the influence they gave to help things go as smoothly as possible. House Unity was the main issue of course. Especially where Slytherin's were concerned. The headmistress had asked the students to each place themselves at another houses table after the opening speech of the Welcome Feast that first day. It was supposed to help the other students in mingling with them more. Especially when two of the students going back that year would technically bare the marks of Death Eaters, though exonerated of any and all charges brought against them it was still going to be hard. Hermione and Ginny were first to agree with Harry not far behind, Ron probably wouldn't have agreed at all if he didn't fear for his life when Hermione stared at him. If looks could kill.

It was a full week later that the foursome left The Burrow to board the Hogwarts Express with anticipation of what the school year would bring for the last time. The train had been less enthusiastic as the previous years, all the first year students were worrying they would end up in Slytherin and the older kids knew too much about the war to enjoy themselves much.

When they arrived at the castle and joined their house tables the great hall was met with a sombre expression, never before had it been so full and yet so unbearably…well, unbearable.

The sorting came and went, there were 144 new students that year since it combined nearly two full years. They would be joining the thirty or so that were present from the previous year. The first child to be sorted into Slytherin was a tiny girl who barely looked a day over eight never mind eleven, and it was clear to everyone she was terrified just from the look on her face. It had taken one of the seventh years to come and bring her to to the table before she moved. Only 27 of the 144 new students had been sorted into green and silver, joining the 12 that had been there from the previous year. They were a smaller class than the other houses tat year but probably by no more than six students.

"And now that the sorting is done I would just like to say a huge welcome to all our new students and a just as big welcome back to the rest. I can't tell you how lovely it is to see so many familiar faces sitting in this room right now." Though the headmistress hadn't said as much it was evident she was referring to the students who had lost their lives during the war, the wetness aroud her eyes were testament to that. "I would like to take this opportunity to announce that this year there will be seven common rooms allocated around the school. One for each year, you will notice that those rooms are dressed in Hogwarts colours of all houses and are a way for your houses to become on friendlier terms with one another. They will be being watched by prefects on duty of course so I trust that this will be taken into account. If you have any issues please speak with your prefects or head boy and girl. Now, as a sign of house unity it is also my pleasure to announce you may sit at whatever table you shall wish during mealtimes. And lastly, the Forbidden Forest, as always, is out of bounds. Anyone who tries to go in there will likely not come out in one piece. If they come out at all. And shall that happen you will be wishing you were back in there. Now, shall we?" She asked nodding to the table as she sat down and watched as the plates began to fill up.

"Honestly, it wouldn't be Hogwarts without a trip into the forest."

"Harry!" Hermione scolded.

"What?!" Just saying it how it is. We got that speech in first year and I've been in that forest every year since. Including last year and I wasn't even attending school then!"

"You have not been in there _every_ year."

"Really? You're sure of that? First year it was detention. You know, 'Hey kids the Forbidden Forest is forbidden. It's full of dark and dangerous creatures. You're not to go in there. Ever. Unless of course you have detention with Hagrid, then it's alright' I mean what?"

"Second year Hagrid tried to feed us to his bloody pet spider. Nearly died we did!" Ron added.

"Third year involved a time turner and a patronus, fourth year included dragons. Fifth year we went in there twice. Both times involved Grawp-"

"All right all right I get it. Just…just don't be going in again this year okay?" She asked nervously.

"I'll try, that's as good as you're getting."

"Honestly, I'm sure you two feed off this." Hermione huffed.

Harry only smirked as he stood up off the bench to follow through with the headmistresses plan, Hermione followed him.

"Right, well, I guess we better get this over with. Where are you going?" Harry asked.

"I think it might be best if I went to Slytherin. Ron would be the worst option but you often don't think before you speak either so it's best I go."

"Mione…"

"No, it's fine Harry, honestly. Why don't you go and sit with Luna?"

"Yeah I think I will you know. See you later Ron." He shouted back as he walked off towards the table adorned in blue.

"Go and sit with Ernie and Hannah, Ron. Come on you have to show house unity."

"Bloody house unity." He muttered. "What's old McGonagall thinking? Wait, if I'm going to sit with Ernie and Hannah that leaves you with the snakes."

"Clever." Hermione replied as she rolled her eyes.

"Mione no."

"Oh what in Circe's name are they going to do here? In front of the whole school? Honestly Ron!"

"Malfoy and Nott are Death Eaters Hermione!" Ron snapped.

"Were Ron. Were Death Eaters and you were at both of their trials so you know full well what the situation was. Is. Go and sit with Hannah. I'll be fine." She hissed before turning on her heels and walking off towards the table at the furthest side of the hall.

Hermione hadn't realised it but her encounters with both Harry and Ron had clearly been heard throughout the whole room and as she walked to the table covered in green and silver she felt the eyes of the entire room watching her.

As Hermione approached the Slytherin table she found an empty seat with the seventh years and slipped in between Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Nott before saying hello and filling up a plate to eat.

"Hello" she said smiling tightly.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Granger?" Draco Malfoy, who was sitting directly in front of Hermione drawled.

"Of course you weren't listening Malfoy, do you ever? Inter house unity.

Better get used to it you'll be seeing me more than you'd like."

"I was listening. I just assumed your guard dogs would put a bit more effort in stopping you dining with Death Eaters."

"Semantics." She said waving him off as she reached for a plate of potatoes. "And honestly I I can fight my own battles you know. I don't need Harry or Ron telling me what I can and can not do. Thank you" she added turning to Theo as her poured her a glass of pumpkin juice, a habit of being a pureblood son in a sacred twenty eight family.

"You're welcome, Granger." Theo answer as he poured his own juice before passing the jug off to Blaise who was sat in front of him.

"Granger? Oh honestly! When have you ever called me Granger Theo?" She asked him sternly as she turned to face him crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes at him.

"Shit, Hermione! Don't do that! I really don't want to have to defend myself from Weasely's wand on my first day back okay " Theo said hurriedly as he pulled her arms apart before realising he was touching her in front of the entire school, who were of course watching them.

"You won't be defending yourself from his wand on _any_ day Theo!" Hermione hissed.

"Well we'll see about that won't we. Just…if you're going to sit here just eat okay?" He asked nervously.

With a roll of her eyes Hermione turned back to her food and took a bite before Ginny turned up and sat next to Draco.

"Hey 'Mi. Having fun with the snakes?"

"Give it up Gin which one sent you?"

"Oh give me some credit! I came of my own free will, heard these snakes aren't bad in the chamber. Had to find out for myself didn't I? Plus if I didn't come when I did I'm sure my wonderful brother was about to storm over here because a man dared to touch you!" Ginny said mock gasping as she eyed Theo. "I mean, it was just on the arms and maybe hands and it didn't exactly look unwanted but you know Ronald." She carried on. "Oh I forgot, how rude of me, sorry you will have to excuse my manners. Blood traitors don't bother with such things. Hello." She said smiling brightly as she sat down and started helping herself to some chocolate cake.

The Slytherin's all tried to mask their amusement and shock at the fun and sassy redhead but they really were doing a poor job of it and it just had Ginny smiling harder.

"So how did you all feel about coming back this year? Didn't you attend last year Theo?" Hermione asked trying to change the subject.

"Oh they did. But last year was a bit of a funny time wasn't it Nott? Oi 'Mi why you calling Nott, Theo?"

"Apparently they do that. Though I'm not sure when it started. He even calls her _Hermione"_ Blaise added.

"You do?" Ginny asked turning towards Theo.

"Umm. I guess so. Tried calling her Granger and I thought she was going to hex me. I'd really like to avoid a hexing so it'll be Hermione."

"Honestly, you've always called me Hermione. Why should that change?"

"Society I guess." He replied.

"Yeah well I don't care much for that kind of society. I told you to call me Hermione when we were eleven. You held my hand for like two whole hours and we sat and shared-"

"Chocolate frogs and sugar quills while you invaded the privacy of my books. Yes I remember." He finished with a small smile.

"Honestly this day is just getting weirder." Draco muttered. "You two have been friends since you were eleven? How did none of us know? And you held her hand? Theo you were eleven and holding a girls hand!"

"Honestly Draco does it ever occur to you that people maybe have lives you don't know about? We were friends yes. She was probably the first real friend I ever had-"

"Wait. What? I'm your friend. You've known me since we were in nappies!"

"-and you're a good friend but we were pushed upon one another because of our parents. It's different. Anyway after the sorting we didn't really see much of each other. I would see her in the library-"

"Oh come on Theo, you might have sat on the desk next to me but we were still studying together." Hermione interrupted rolling her eyes.

"And this friendship wasn't forced on you?" Draco added with narrowed eyes.

Theo looked at Hermione and smiled before turned back and answering "Yes it was but in a totally different way. She wouldn't shut up. Kept jabbering on and on and on. Wouldn't leave the compartment either then started reading my books. She was like an infestation I couldn't get rid of. You haven't changed much by the way." He added turning back to her.

"And yet the shy and quiet little boy who I met seems to be gone. I liked him, he was good to me. Made me feel safe in a new world. Was my first ever friend in the Wizarding world." She said smiling back at him.

Draco cleared his throat purposely before injecting into the conversation again. "Well, I hate to break up this little…erm…trip down memory lane but neither of you have explained the hand holding yet" he said pointedly as if it was the best gossip of the year. "I mean, eleven year olds holding hands? All I was thinking about was Quidditch."

"Oh yeah we held hands. He even kissed me." Hermione added as casually as she could.

"You did what?!" Ginny shouted.

"Excuse me?!" Draco spluttered.

"On her hand. Salazar! The lot of you are filthy minded. We were eleven for Circe's sake!" He said before leaning in to Hermione and whispering "You really haven't changed have you? You knew they'd do that." Hermione smirked at his words enjoy the reactions from their friends.

In reply, and as a way of showing their friends up, house unity in mind, Hermione smiled and held her hand out to Theo. Then watched as he picked it up and brought it to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on it whilst never taking his brilliant emerald eyes off of her amber ones. As he dropped their hands to the bench he was about to pull his away when she pulled on to it tighter to keep him there and turned back to their friends who were all watching them wide eyed.

"See? Just like that." She said as innocently as she could manage.

"I really hope it was _not_ like that at age eleven." Draco replied in what seemed a disgusted manner.

"And why not?"

"Because that looked a bit…err…." Daphne started

"Sensual?" Blaise finished.

"Sensual, sexy, hot. Take your pick. Certainly didn't look like friendship or anything remotely platonic. Oh look and my lovely brother clearly saw the whole thing along with the rest of the school. We're supposed to uniting the houses you know" Ginny said before turning to take a sip of the pumpkin juice Blaise had poured her.

"What the hell is going on over here?" Ron demanded as he approached the table.

Hermione felt Theo go to pull his hand away to try and ease the tension lest Ron see but she just entwined their fingers and held him firmly in place.

"Making new friends. Reconnecting with old ones." Hermione replied with a shrug.

"Old ones? What are you talking about and why the hell is _he_ kissing _you_. And why are you even letting him Hermione?"

"Ouch. He called her 'Hermione' must be in a bad mood." Ginny said to nobody in particular though the majority of the table laughed a little.

"Ron this is Theo, my friend. Well, he's been my friend since we were eleven we were just telling everyone the story. It's not really that grand I assure you but if you would like to sit we will happily tell it again." Hermione replied sweetly.

"Oh fuck. She's doing that 'kill them with kindness' thing. Better watch yourself with this witch Theo mate." Blaise said.

"What? Why?" Theo asked confused.

"Because she's bloody scary. I'm man enough to admit that. Slytherin or not."

"Yeah so why should I watch myself?"

"Tell me you two aren't still holding hands under there." Blaise said as he pointed towards the bench between where they were sitting.

"I…umm…we…"

"Yeah. Exactly. Plus she's wearing the head girl badge. You might as well just get used to it."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"You haven't told you _friend?_ Oh this day is just getting better." Draco added.

"You know I haven't you've been sat with us the entire time we've been talking you prick."

"Told me what?" Hermione asked confused.

"Theo got head boy." Daphne said sweetly.

"What?! You did? Oh that's great Theo you really deserve it!" She shouted as she threw her arms around his neck for a hug.

"Something else you two did when you were eleven?" Draco asked amusedly.

"Err no. This...this is new." Theo replied nervously when Hermione pulled herself off of him though she did grab his hand back almost immediately.

"Wait." Ron started, clearly the others had even forgotten he was there. "Moine's head girl and Nott's head boy?" He asked though it was clear he already knew the answer.

"Yes?" Hermione asked.

"No." Ron replied quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"No. You can't. Head boy and girl share quarters 'Mione. You can't share with him!"

"I'm aware they share Ronald and for Merlin's sake if Malfoy had made head boy I would have shared with him. Luckily for me it was Theo instead . No offence Malfoy but I think we would have killed each other in a week." She added as she turned to him.

"I wouldn't have given us a day" he said with a shrug.

"And I assure you I can damn well do whatever I want Ronald."

"That include holding his hand and letting him kiss you?"

"Do you see me objecting?" I assure you I'm holding Theo's hand much tighter than he's holding on to mine. You see he's a little worried you might get the wrong impression and is trying to be a gentleman. Unfortunately for Theo it's my hand he's holding and I'm not exactly the type to not fight back. You remember that right?" She asked him leaving him speechless.

"Ron, I'm staying in the heads quarters, I don't know if Theo is too but either way I'll be staying there and you have absolutely nothing to worry about and no reason for any of this so please, just go back to the Hufflepuff table and talk to Ernie and Hannah." She added before turning back to the table and trying once again to tuck into her meal.

"You didn't have to do that Hermione." Theo whispered to her when Ron was out of ear shot.

"Ron's an arse and yes I did. We should probably put wards up to keep him out of our quarters though. I don't trust him to not come up unannounced at all hours of the day or night."

"And you trust me?" He asked looking right into her amber eyes.

"Never stopped." Hermione whispered back.

"Not even whe-"

"No. Not even then." She insisted.

"Well this is getting a bit awkward isn't it?" Blaise asked jokingly.

"Feels perfectly natural to me." Hermione said with a shrug.

"This hand holding; when you were eleven it was..well, you were eleven but now you're 18 it's a bit more intimate. I mean the whole school just watched this little scene but even still you can't just go around holding hands without it meaning anything." Draco said.

"Who said it didn't mean anything?" Theo asked as he gently squeezed Hermione's hand in his.

"What? Oh I'm lost." Blaise answered. "Any of you lot make heads or tails of these two?" He shouted to the group of seventh years whilst gesturing to Theo and Hermione.

"Don't ask me mate, I'm still in shock that Theo spoke to a girl and held her hand for a few hours when he was eleven then eluded us all for seven years about this secret friendship." Draco replied.

"Looks like more than a friendship to me." Ginny added.

"Yeah I agree the nice Weaslette here. Definitely _not_ just friends ." Daphne chimed in.

"Do you lot really need a label for everything?" Theo asked exasperated.

"Not just us mate, look around, the whole school wants to know." Draco answered.

"They'll just have to make do then won't they." Theo shot back through gritted teeth. After a quick look around the hall he noticed at least 80% of the occupants were watching them before turning back to Hermione who, miraculously had actually managed to eat half of her meal, one handed. "Welcome to the house of Salazar kitten, snakes, the lot of us. I hope you'll forgive us."

"Friends?" She asked smiling.

"Haven't we always been? Since when did you give me a choice?" He joked before bringing their joined hands up and kissing hers again.

"You're right. We have."

"Oh fuck. He called her _kitten_ we're doomed. I was going to offer bets on how long it took but, Salazar what's the point?" Blaise asked.

"I give it a week." Daphne added.

"Three days." Ginny said.

"Malfoy? You in?" Blaise asked his friend who had his head in his hands.

"No." He grumbled.

"Why not? Come on even Red joined in!"

"Because I don't want to be right!" He shouted.

"And what would your answer be that you're so worried it would be right?"

"Tomorrow. Maybe even tonight. Merlin look at them! Haven't taken their eyes off each other since she came over here. He calls her kitten, kitten for Merlin's sake and that's when he's not calling her _Hermione_. And he kisses her and they've been sat there holding hands for like half an hour without letting go even when the Weasel came over here shouting his mouth off. It's Theo, Blaise. Theo doesn't do stuff like that. Ever."

"Yeah, he's also sitting right here listening to everything you're saying." Theo added in a warning tone to his friend.

"See what I mean?" Draco exclaimed to his friends. "It's happening already. Might as well hand the galleons over already. We all know I've won."

"Is he always this dramatic?" Hermione asked the Slytherin's.

"Pretty much." Theo replied as he refilled both of their glasses under the watchful eyes of their friends.

"Well, this year is going to be fun. Now that we've gathered Nott is very clearly taken and I won't be Slythering into his bed chambers any time in the near future, I'll just have to set my sights on someone else." Ginny chimed in as she winked at Blaise.

"I like her, Granger." Blaise said to Hermione before turning back to Ginny "You, you little minx are welcome to our table anytime." He said as he kissed her hand.

"And your chambers?" Ginny asked teasingly.

"What happened to Potter? Thought you two were like the perfect couple."

"Pffft hardly. Just a passing fancy. I'm too young to settle down. I'd like to use my youth for experience. We're still really good friends. He's like a brother but that's about it."

"Well in that case my chambers are open to you any time love." He replied with a wink.

"Seriously? It's not even been an hour back at school and you're all coupling off already!" Draco moaned.

"We're not a couple. Just two like minded people looking for fun right, Zabini?"

"Right" He answered with a grin.

"So how do you explain those two then?" Draco asked pointing towards Theo and Hermione who seemed to be in deep conversation through hushed whispers and looking rather happy.

"Not sure at all. If I didn't know better 'love at first sight' would be my answer but…"

"But it's not real?"

"I don't know. We live in a magical world so why shouldn't I believe it and then you see people like these two who were clearly attracted to each other to some degree even when they were eleven. Ron and Harry are going to hate this, this year is going to be fun."

"That's one word for it Weasley."

"Do you think you could all call me Ginny? Or Gin at least? Looks like we'll be seeing each other a lot more anyway, I can't have my best friend being the only lion at a table full of snakes can I?"

"I suppose so, Ginny. Seems odd." Draco added.

"As odd as calling you Draco I imagine but I'm doing it anyway."

"Always knew Weasley's didn't know the meaning of no."

"Oh stop complimenting me Draco I might start wanting you to hold my hand like those two." Ginny joked nodding her head towards their friends.

"Merlin, no thanks!"

"Well, we agree on something see we're becoming fast friends already."

"Friends, yes, clearly. I think all my ancestors just turned in their graves." Draco said rolling his eyes and going back to the food in front of him

"And mine are probably all laughing."


	3. Chapter 3

The seventh years had all been wrong, two weeks had passed since the welcome back feast and there had still been no official announcement that Theo and Hermione were anything more than friends. They had both accepted the head mistresses offer to stay in the heads quarters and therefore were required to live together which only seemed to strengthen their friendship evermore. The pair did still hold hands occasionally but that had been as far as things had gotten, which was probably for the best since their friendship had proven to be quite controversial among most of the students.

Just as Hermione had agreed in her meeting with their headmistress the week before school had started, she continued to enjoy her meals at the Slytherin table where she was joined by Ginny. And though it was supposed to help the other students ease into making friendships with those outside of their own houses Slytherin was still a sore subject for many. Many of the students couldn't understand how Hermione Granger, war heroine and best friend of Harry Potter could be friends with a death eater, could dine with them daily, could talk to them as if they were normal wizards, could live with one.

On the first morning back to school Theo had left their shared quarters only to find a mixed group of Gryffindor's, Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's waiting outside of the entrance. Hermione had been right about the wards, though her ginger friend wasn't among the group. They had clearly tried to get through the witches complex spells with little luck and when Theo had emerged from the common room door a few of them scattered, clearly afraid the former death eater might start throwing unforgivable curses their way. Theo had sighed before turning around and going back to get Hermione, hoping that if he showed these other students she was unhurt they would stop their ridiculous efforts to trespass. It hadn't worked. Every morning there would be a semblance of red, blue and yellow outside their quarters and even some nights Hermione had to take points away from students because they were not returning to their own dorms. If any of them had had even half a brain cell between them they would have realised they were just pushing Hermione closer to the Slytherin's, the only house who had not had anything to say about her sudden daily appearance in their lives or her ever growing friendship with Theo. She had even become on first name terms with Draco Malfoy and had managed to get some sort of conversation out of him occasionally.

Her own friends were mostly supportive, Harry was doing the brotherly thing and letting her know to be careful and he was there if she needed him and anything else he could think of to say without putting his foot in it. While Ron was being the complete opposite and actually forbidding her to sit at the Slytherin table or stay in the heads quarters. He had even gone as far as to tell her to give up the head girl position. She was obviously no longer speaking to him. Ginny had continued to sit with her during meal times just as she had that first day and Neville and Luna really didn't care where she sat or who with as long as she was safe and happy, they all still had their own issues to deal with from the war and something like Hermione choosing to sit at a different table was really a none issue to them.

It was just four days until Hermione's nineteenth birthday and so far she had managed to not draw attention to it by keeping her head in her books and occupying herself with head girl duties. She hadn't felt like it was worth a celebration with everything that was going on, there were still people grieving, still places needing to be rebuilt. Her parents were still never going to come back.

It had been a week after the war had ended when Hermione had managed to get a portkey to Australia to find her parents and have the memory charm reversed. Having tracked down the last known address for Wendell and Monica Wilkins to find they were not there, she had then gone to their neighbours house only to be told they had both died in a car crash six months previously. It had devasated Hermione since she had sent them away to keep them from harm only to send them right to their death anyway. It was as if nothing she did would change the outcome. She had gone to the local authorities to find their burial plots and paid her respects to their final resting place before returning to Britain less than twelve hours after she had left.

Hermione hadn't explained to her friends what had happened and instead told them that when she had seen the life they were living she had decided it was best for them to keep things as they were, forgoing the reversal of the memory charm and keeping them as Wendell and Monica Wilkins for the rest of their lives. It hadn't even been suspected that she could be lying, they just accepted anything they told her. She had taken just a couple of days to grieve before joining the rebuilding teams at Hogwarts again. And so now here she was, months later, about to turn nineteen and having no plans to do anything. No plans that is until Theo came along.

He had just emerged from the shower after returning from quidditch try-outs in his muddy green and silver robes, before he headed to their kitchen to get them each a butterbeer and promptly dropped his exhausted body on to the couch beside her, passing her bottle off.

"Thanks." Hermione said, looking up from her book.

Theo didn't reply and instead closed his eyes as if trying to relax before bringing the bottle to his mouth.

"Was it that bad?" She asked.

"Worse than bad." Theo grumbled.

"Well, you could always just not play quidditch." Hermione replied with hope ringing in her voice.

"I'm the captain, I can't quit. The turn out just wasn't so great. All the younger kids are scared the rest of the school will be rooting to knock bludger's and quaffle's their way."

"They probably will."

"You're not helping. You're supposed to be helping." Theo moaned.

"Just pointing out the obvious. What about the other seventh years? Or sixth years? Didn't they turn up?"

"Some did, just not as many as I would have liked. Still better than last year I suppose." Theo replied as they both shuddered at the thought of the Carrow's holding last years quidditch try-outs. "Let's talk about something more interesting." He said turning to face her.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, like your birthday this Saturday maybe?" Theo asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"What? How did you know? You know what, never mind. I'm not doing anything anyway." Hermione replied solemnly.

"Why not?" Theo asked confused.

"It's just, there's still so much to do, so much going on. A birthday, a nineteenth birthday just feels insignificant , it's hardly worthy of a celebration. Especially when there are still so many people grieving."

"That's exactly why you should be celebrating Hermione. Celebrate what you fought for, what you have, your future. The future of all of the students here in Hogwarts. The future generations. Your future children's' future. Celebrate that. Because none of it would be possible without you and yes people died and yes the country is still not completely rebuilt but that doesn't mean that you should stop living in the now. It's exactly the reason you should be living. Fuck all those idiots who wait outside every morning waiting to see if I've killed you yet, fuck all of it Hermione, without you none of them would have the life they have now and they know it. One day, probably very soon, they will realise what they're doing and they will regret it but for now just live. Okay?" Theo asked as he grabbed her free hand in his and squeezed her as hard as he could.

"My parents are dead Theo." Hermione blurted out as tears streamed down her face, his words had thrown her off guard and she hadn't meant to just shout it out but there it was.

"I know Love" Theo replied as he pulled her into his arms where she let the tears fall freely and her body shook as he pulled her closer and rubbed her back to let her know he was there. He didn't utter a single word to her until he knew she was ready and instead gave her his handkerchief and let her curl into him whilst she let the grief pass. Hoping that just him being there for her was enough.

It was close to an hour later when Hermione had gone quiet, her breathing had become much more even, Theo had begun to think she was asleep and was contemplating whether he should lay her down in her bed or if it would be best to just leave her on the couch and cover her up lest she think he may have done something inappropriate before she finally spoke.

"Thank you, Theo."

"There's no need to thank me, friends, remember?" He said with a small smile. Clearly seeing her so distressed had been harder on him than he would have thought.

"Doesn't mean you have to sit here and let me cry all over you all night." Hermione sniffed as she tried to move away from him, embarrassment over the situation clearly taking over.

"Pretty sure that's exactly what it means, kitten." Theo replied as he pulled her back and held her tighter.

"You won't tell anyone?" She asked in a small voice.

"That the great Hermione Granger cried? No I won't." He joked.

"That's not what I-"

"I know. You don't have to worry. I wont tell a soul. Promise."

"How did you know?" Hermione finally asked after her head had cleared enough to realise what he had said when she broke down.

"I live with you Hermione, it was pretty easy to figure out. Especially since I have no parents myself. I'm surprised Potter and Weasley haven't figured it out by now." Theo answered as Hermione moved to sit next to him and drink the last of her butterbeer.

Hermione ignored his comment about his parents, knowing full well his father was alive and in Askaban. "Do you have anything stronger?" She asked as she banished the empty bottle to the bin.

"Do you even know me?" He joked as he stood up to retrieve a bottle of firewhiskey and two glasses before returning and pouring each of them a drink. "To Mr and Mrs Granger, for giving the wizarding world the amazing and beautiful Hermione, saviour, heroine, bookworm, friend. May you both rest in eternal peace." Theo toasted as he raised his glass up to meet Hermione's.

"To Mum and Dad." Hermione agreed before they both threw back the burning amber liquid. Hermione promptly grabbed the neck of the bottle and poured out another glass each to continue the toasting. "To living life and fucking all the pricks who can't accept who I am or how I do things." Hermione continued.

Theo raised his eyebrows at her and pursed his lips determined not to laugh at her word choice but he couldn't hold it in for very long before he was keeled over clutching his sides in laughter.

"Okay, that was poor wording. Let's try again. To living life and not give a fuck about the pricks who can't accept me for who I am." She said holding the glass. "Better?" She asked him.

"Much better." He joked and they both drank the liquid down again.

It was after another four toasts of, 'screw Voldemort' 'fuck Ron' 'no longer being a death eater' and finally 'not having to answer or listen to my father any more' before the bottle ran out and Theo and Hermione decided it was probably best to go to bed since they had classes in less than five hours time.

"I think it's best we go to bed, it's after three and we are the head boy and girl we're not supposed to be staying up all night drinking firewhiskey." Hermione pointed out in a slight slur.

"We're also not supposed to be in school this year so I think it's only fair we get some benefits." Theo replied refusing to move.

"I'm not sure the hangover we will have in class tomorrow will be much of a benefit to either of us."

"Ah, I really need to start brewing some sober up. I never think of it until it's too late." Theo grumbled.

"Yes well, a shower and coffee will have to suffice I think. Come on, bed." Hermione said as stood up and grabbed his hand to pull him with her.

"Is that an invitation, Kitten?"

"You're drunk Theo." Hermione pointed out.

"And yet my mind has never been more clear." He replied as she shoved him towards his door.

"Goodnight Theodore." Hermione said as she kissed his cheek. "And thank you for tonight." She said before she moved to walk towards her own bedroom.

"Goodnight love. Oh and Hermione? We will be celebrating your birthday, I'll make sure of it" He replied with a heavy breath before closing his bedroom door behind him and collapsing on the four poster.

Hermione smiled at his insistence before replying "Of course Theo, I wouldn't expect anything less from you." She managed to shout before his door closed and she retreated inside her own room for teh remainder of the night. Or morning depending on how you looked at it.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Theo woke up as usual and put a pot of coffee on before having a quick shower to try and sober himself up some. Being the son of a pureblood he was used to the harsher alcohol and knew he could function perfectly well after a night of heavy drinking. He wasn't ashamed to admit that this wouldn't be the first time he would be going to class after consuming firewhiskey the night before, hell he had gone to class minutes after drinking a glass of the burning amber liquid in the past. Hermione though, he was sure had never drank on a school night.

He had been pleasantly surprised the night before at the ease in which she seemed to drink with him, it wasn't that he thought she was a prude or anything, he was sure she was far from it but somehow the image of Hermione Granger drinking half a bottle of firewhiskey with such ease was...endearing. It was with these thoughts that Theo realised Hermione had still not woken up to get ready for the morning, normally she would be up by now and considering she was likely to have a hangover he figured it was best to wake her up.

Walking over to her door after pouring her a cup of coffee he knocked lightly and waited for an answer before knocking louder.

"Hermione" He called through the door. No answer.

"Hermione, wake up breakfast starts soon." He tried again slightly louder. Still no answer.

"I swear to Merlin Hermione, I'll come in there if I have to. There is absolutely no way I am leaving these quarters without you so the rest of the school can think I've finally Avada'd you." He joked. Kind of. There was still no answer. He sighed and wiped his hand down his face, clearly worried about how she would react when he had to enter her room and physically wake her up.

"Right, I'm coming in. I did warn you." He shouted as he turned the door handle.

Walking in to the room Theo realised he had never stepped foot inside it before but the layout was exactly the same as his own which he thought was funny because he had had to rearrange his to get it the way it was, though she did have a dressing table that he didn't. Most of the room had typically been taken up with two large bookshelves, her trunk was at the foot of the four poster double bed, the window that overlooked the lake was covered in a black curtain to keep the light out and her bedding was what appeared on first sight, golden silk. Though Theo imagined it was most likely satin, the sheets were black which matched the drapes of the four poster. The furniture, much like his own had been supplied by the school and was a deep mahogany colour. The bedside table was probably the messiest place in the room except for the bed since she was still tangled inside the covers. There was a lantern and a stack of books that looked like they had just been thrown there haphazardly in the middle of the night. The top book, a tome on Ancient Runes was upside down and open. Theo chuckled to himself softly at the similarities to his own room and the way the room just screamed 'Hermione Granger' as he walked over to the window and pulled the curtains apart before approaching the bed.

The bed where, in golden silk (or satin, he still wasn't sure) he could make out her petite sleeping form. Her wild curls that he had long since noticed held different shades of golden honey and chocolate brown was spread over the pillows behind her as she curled into a ball and pulled the quilt over her head to block out the light from her eyes. _Merlin, she's cute in the morning_ he thought smiling to himself.

"Rise and shine, kitten." Theo said lightly keeping as much distance from her and the bed as possible. He wasn't sure if she was wearing anything under the blankets and he really didn't want to start the day being hexed by his room mate. Especially a very cute room mate.

"Urgh." Hermione moaned as she turned over and put her face into the pillow. "Go away."

Theo tried to stifle his amusement at the little witch refusing to wake up. "Come on love it's time to get up." He tried.

"No. Leave me alone."

"Okay, have it your way but breakfast is in half an our and classes start right after that so..."

"Tell them I'm sick."

"You're not sick."

"Beg to differ." Hermione groaned.

"If you're not going to class then neither am I" Theo said crossing his arms.

"What? Why? You're not sick." She tried to point out.

"And neither are you but if you think I'm leaving this sanctuary to go out there where all those idiots who think I'm going to hurt you are waiting to make sure you're still in one piece, only to realise you're not coming out today and assume I've finally turned my wand on you then you over estimate me." Theo said pointedly.

"Fine." Hermione mumbled pulling the covers down from her face.

"So, we're staying in today?" He asked somewhat hopefully though he already knew what the answer was, the head boy and girl couldn't just take a day off like this, especially not together.

"Good try, but no. Do I smell coffee?" Hermione asked perking up a bit.

"You think I'd come and wake a witch up without having her coffee ready?" Theo joked as he passed her the cup. Black, no sugars. Just the way she liked it.

"You know with an attitude like that you will make a good husband one day." Hermione joked back as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"It's a good job I have absolutely no intention of getting married then, poor witch would be doomed to end up with someone like me." He said trying to joke back though the seriousness wasn't lost on either of them.

"Someone like you? You mean kind? Thoughtful? Smart? Considerate? Handsome? Cultured? Courageous?" Hermione asked with a raised brow.

"Death Eater?" Theo counted back.

"If it bothers her she won't deserve you." Hermione shrugged before standing up, thankful she had managed to put on at least some sort of bed clothes the night before even if she wasn't sure where the t-shirt she was wearing had come from. Her legs however were quite bare. She was just glad that the t-shirt covered a good portion of her thighs but since she was sure that Theo had seen her in various stages of undress by this point, a consequence of living together, she wasn't too bothered.

"Is that my t-shirt?" Theo asked as he watched her walk over to her dressing table.

"Guess it is. Must have gotten mixed up in my clothes with the washing. I'll have it washed and give it back." She replied looking down at the t-shirt which was black and had a picture of what she assumed was a wizarding rock band on the front.

"Don't. It looks better on you than me. Even with your hair the way it is." Theo joked as he moved to leave through the open door. "Get a shower, we have twenty minutes until breakfast and I'm sure we could both do with having something decent to eat after last night." He called as he walked away hoping to hide just how good he thought she looked in his shirt.

Walking into the kitchen Theo leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, trying to recount old quidditch scores and failing miserably when all he could see was Hermione standing in front of him wearing nothing but his shirt, her wild curls just as messy as ever and her toned legs on show. It was a good five minutes later when he gave up trying and decided to pour himself another cup of coffee and flip through one of his school books hoping that would at least take his mind off things a bit. It worked. Kind of. When she emerged out of her room ten minutes later after her shower, her hair firmly in place but still looking rough Theo chuckled to himself and shoved his book in his bag ready to go. The mental imag still lingering.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Not even close. Next time remember the sober up okay?" She groaned.

"Of course, Princess." He said winking at her.

"Honestly, is there ever an end to these pet names of yours?" She asked narrowing her eyes at him.

"Not even close." Theo mimicked as he stepped through the door to the corridor where, Merlin, would you believe it? There were students donning red, blue and yellow waiting as usual to see if Hermione was still alive. Just as he had predicted.

Unfortunately for the students who were outside that morning Hermione was hungover, something none of them had been accounting for. Luckily for Theo he was able to drag her away from them before she pulled her wand on them. They were mostly fourth, fifth and sixth years who apparently had nothing better to do with their time and he was sure it wouldn't reflect good on her if she did manage to hex them, war hero or not.

Watching Hermione turn on them and take twenty points away per student, screaming at them to 'Mind their own bloody business' 'Leave us alone' and 'Don't you have more important things to do, like I don't know, school work?' was all fun and games until a sixth year Ravenclaw called her a 'Death Eater's whore'. Hermione had been too shocked to say anything back but Theo, Theo was raised the perfect aristocrat. He took note of the boys name, took fifty house points away from him and grabbed Hermione's hand to drag her towards the great hall. He was shaking with anger. Not for himself, he didn't care what they called him, he had been a death eater it was true. Though the circumstances were not as black and white as Liam McClaggen and the rest of the students outside their quarters thought. He was angry for Hermione, she had fought in a war to stop prejudices like this from happening and now here she was a victim. Again. But this time he was the reason and he just couldn't bare it.

"This is going too far now." Theo huffed at they walked towards the Slytherin table, still holding hands.

"I know." Hermione mumbled.

"Maybe it's best if I just moved back to the dorms." He replied.

"What? No. No way Theo. We're not letting them win. I don't care what they say. They can call me whatever they want I'm staying right where I am and so are you." She shot back angrily as they both sat down in their usual seats across from Draco, Blaise and Ginny who had already arrived. They both started to load their plates up, unusually high and full of greasy breakfast foods before they realised that nobody at the table had spoken a word since they had sat down or that the-boy-who-can't-die was also sat with them. Actually sat next to Theo.

"You two okay?" Blaise finally asked through narrowed eyes.

"We will be." Hermione answered bitterly.

"What's happened? Those fucking pricks still outside your quarters?" Draco asked turning to Theo who nodded in reply.

"Did they have anything nicer to say today?" Ginny joked sarcastically.

"Depends. What do you think of Death Eater's Whore?" Hermione asked casually.

The table fell silent for a split second before they all shouted at the same time, it was hard to make out who was saying what.

"They called you that?!"

"You need to tell McGonagall. That's too far."

"What the actual fuck?"

"Are you okay Hermione?" She just nodded her head, unsure who had asked what and hoping it would be a good enough answer.

"We need to do something, this can't carry on." Someone said.

Hermione tuned the group of friends out and turned to Theo who she noticed was looking quite pale and seemed to shaking. He hadn't even touched his food.

"Theo, Theo are you okay?" She whispered as she took his hand in hers and squeezed it as tightly as she could before offering a small smile. It was all she had.

"I'm trying. I just...you don't deserve that." He replied.

"Nobody deserves that. But are you okay?"

"I will be. Are you?" He asked.

"I will be." She said with a twinkle in her eye, replaying his game from earlier that morning. "Now come on I thought you said we should be eating." She said nodding to the plates of sausages, eggs, bacon and toast.

"I did say that didn't I?" He smirked as he turned to his plate and started to dig in.

"You okay 'Mione?" Harry asked from the other side of Theo.

"Harry? What are you doing sitting here?" Hermione asked confused.

"Inter house unity." He replied.

"No. Why are you really here?"

"Do I need a reason to see my best friend? I've not seen you properly in two weeks 'Mione so I thought I would come over to spend time with you and I get here to find out you're being harassed and..and did they really call you that?" He asked uneasily.

"Death eater's whore? Yes they did. It's a good job Theo was there to drag me away or I might be on my way to Askaban right now." Hermione replied as she took a sip of the coffee Theo had poured for her.

Harry looked at Theo sceptically before turning back to Hermione. "I'll see if I can do something about it. Being the Chosen One should come with some benefits, right?" He joked lightly.

"You can try Harry but don't get your hopes up. I can deal with this myself anyway." Hermione said as she turned to her food and started to quickly eat as much as possible. It was because she was so focused on filling her empty stomach that Hermione failed to notice the concerned looks Harry and Ginny were sharing over the table.

"So now that that is out of the way" Blaise started after a few minutes silence "do you care to tell us why you're eating like a Weasley? No offence Red but your brother-"

"Is a bottomless pit when it comes to food, yeah I know." Ginny laughed.

"Well, as disgusting as it is it's still a damn sight better than watching him and that blonde sucking faces." He said as he looked over to where Ron and Lavender were sitting. "So, what's your excuse Hermione? Not pregnant are you?" He asked.

Hermione looked up from her food and glared at the dark skinned man while Theo seemed to be chocking on a mouthful of food. "Hungover. She's hungover." He finally managed to splutter.

"Hungover?" Draco asked as if the whole concept was foreign. "Did you drink one too many butterbeer's Granger?" He smirked.

"Half a bottle of firewhiskey actually. I had trouble keeping up. She will definitely give you a run for your galleons Draco." Theo joked.

"Forgive me when I say I am more inclined to believe that a three headed dog exists." Draco replied.

Hermione and Harry both looked at each other and said "Fluffy" before bursting out into laughter.

"Who's Fluffy?" Theo asked them.

"Hagrid's dog." Harry answered.

"Hagrid's _three headed dog_." Hermione corrected as she turned to smirk at Draco. "Met him first year when _someone_ believed the Philosopher's Stone was in danger." She continued as she turned to look at Harry through narrowed eyes remembering how Fluffy had woken up after the harp had stopped playing.

"Well someone was after it, weren't they? I was right!" He shot back with an air of satisfaction.

"Of course you were O' Chosen One." She laughed as she leaned over to ruffle his hair up, not that it mattered much with the way his hair was.

"So, the great Hermione Granger was drinking firewhiskey on a school night hey?" Pansy asked from the other side of the group.

Hermione smiled at the other girl, they had built up a good rapport between them over the past two weeks and were able to get along reasonably well with one another. "I blame Theo" she replied.

"You asked for something stronger than butterbeer." Theo pointed out.

"And you supplied it. You could have pretended you didn't have any." She shot back.

"Like you would have believed that." Theo scoffed. "Anyway, maybe I wanted to take advantage." He joked.

"If you wanted to take advantage you could have done so before the firewhiskey came out. Or this morning when you were in my room. Or any other day we are alone together. Which is everyday." Hermione pointed out.

"Oi, Nott! Why were you in 'Mi's room" Ginny shouted.

"You do this on purpose." He accused her before turning towards the red headed girl. "She wouldn't wake up. I'm sure if I hadn't gone in there and forced her to wake up she would still be asleep after classes finished."

"Not true."

"You know it is love." Theo winked at her.

"Are they always like this?" Harry asked the rest of the seventh years though wasn't quiet expecting to be met with a chorus of "Yes" being shouted out to him.

Harry shook his head before turning to Hermione to talk to her about the reason he had actually came over to sit at the Slytherin table this morning. "So 'Mione, it's your birthday on Saturday." He started.

"Not you too, Harry." Hermione groaned as she looked between Harry and Theo.

"It's your birthday Hermione, I'm not going to just let you pretend it's not happening." He continued.

"Well you don't have to do anything, Theo's already taken over, insisted I have to celebrate. Even gave me a big speech about it so I can hardly let him down now can I? She said sarcastically.

"And I can see just how thrilled you are about it but I promise kitten, you will enjoy it." Theo said rolling his eyes at her dramatics.

"Okay, well at least that leaves me off the hook. Just let me know what's been arranged and I'll be there, yeah?" Harry said to Theo as he stood to make his way towards another table.

"Um yeah sure." Theo replied.

"I'll see you later 'Mione." Harry waved as he walked towards the Gryffindor table presumably to talk to Ron.

"See you later Harry." Hermione beamed back.

"So, that was-" Ginny began.

"Awkward?" Pansy supplied.

"Just a bit." Blaise laughed.

"Come on we better get to class, has anyone seen Daphne today?" Pansy asked.

Nobody had seen Daphne at all that morning until Hermione escorted a first year Slytherin girl to the hospital wing to see Madam Pomfrey. The girl had a nose bleed that didn't seem to stop and when Hermione had asked what had happened she knew instantly the girl was lying when she told her she had 'just fallen over'. Things like this had been happening every day for two weeks now and it was getting out of control.

It wasn't until Hermione was about to walk out of the hospital wing when she saw the familiar flash of beautiful long blonde hair in the corner of her eyes when her heart skipped a beat. Hermione decided to go back and see if her suspicions were right and when she pulled the curtain gently she was not surprised to be met with the face of Daphne Greengrass. Or who she assumed was Daphne Greengrass. It was difficult to tell though the hair was a big giveaway.


	5. Chapter 5

The long blonde hair was a dead giveaway sure, but the blood that was matted in it would have thrown Hermione off had she not sat next to the witch every day at meal times over the past two weeks. Daphne hadn't heard Hermione open the curtains and with her back to the brunette witch she didn't see her enter the secluded area either. It wasn't until Hermione sat down on the chair next to the Slytherin girl's bed that she accidentally bumped into the table and caused the other girl to jump, which was definitely out of character for Daphne. Daphne was another pureblood, raised in a sacred twenty eight family, the royalty of wizarding Britain in a family full of Slytherin's, they didn't jump just because somebody bumped into a table accidentally. Not without good reason anyway. But one look at Daphne Greengrass told Hermione all she needed to know. Daphne had a damn good reason.

When Daphne turned to see what the noise was, curled up in what Hermione could only relate to being the foetal position, it was obvious she hadn't expected anyone to find her much less Hermione but the relief that passed over what Hermione could see of her face was evident. She clearly wasn't ready to deal with anyone she was close to right now but Hermione was a dependable and loyal person and Daphne knew that. Gryffindor's were like Hufflepuff's that way.

As Hermione took in Daphne's small frame, her hands covered in blood, her clothes, pyjamas she noted, were a deep shade of red, almost brown where they should have been cream. More blood. Her hair was no better from the front but none of that was even the worst thing about the scene in front of her. The worst thing by far was the deep cut across Daphne's otherwise unblemished face. If you could even call it a cut at this point since it resembled more of a gash. It was clear it hadn't been treated at all. There was still fresh blood pouring from it and on closer inspection it was evident an infection would set in soon if it wasn't cleaned out.

Hermione couldn't hide the shock at seeing her new friend in such a way, especially since after getting to know Daphne she knew her to be a lovely and mostly caring person. Whoever had done this to her couldn't have been doing it to get to her personally. There was just no way it was possible. She was probably the purest Slytherin Hermione had ever met. Purer than even some Hufflepuff's she had come across in the past two weeks.

"Oh Daphne! What happened?" Hermione cried out as she brought her hand to her mouth hoping to stifle the sob that had escaped.

"I'd rather not talk about it. If the others find out...it's best this way. How did you know I was here?" Daphne asked in a small, quiet voice that Hermione barely recognised.

"I didn't, I found a little first year girl with a nose bleed in the corridors and brought her here, I caught a glimpse of you through the curtains as I was about to leave. Everyone is worried about you. Pansy is going out of her mind." Hermione answered as easily as she could whilst simultaneously trying not to stare at the blood too much but she really wasn't doing a good job of it.

"What time is it?" Daphne asked.

"I just left double Charms so third lesson started about ten minutes ago." Hermione answered. "And since you're in your bed clothes I can only imagine that whatever happened to you happened last night." She said pointedly though the blonde with made no attempt to answer in the affirmative or not. "Which means you have been here since last night and you haven't let anyone clean you up or even look at that. It looks nasty." Hermione continued as she eyed the cut more closely.

"I don't want anyone to see me like this. Or touch me. Besides, there's other people in here that need Madam Pomfrey's help more than I do." She replied.

"More important than fixing a hole in somebody's face? I doubt it."

"I just..." Daphne began, her voice still unsteady.

"Would you let me treat you? Hermione asked hopefully.

"You...you can heal?"

"How do you think Harry and Ron survived a year on the run without Madam Pomfrey to tend to their wounds every few days? Have you ever tried to apparate with three people? Let's just say splinching is much nastier than it sounds." Hermione said as she stood from the chair to go and speak with Madam Pomfrey. "I'll be back in a minute okay? I'm just going to go and ask Madam Pomfrey for some potions that will help and let her know you have agreed to let me take a look at you." She said as she pulled the curtain closed behind her before letting the tears that had been threatening to fall finally escape. She took a couple of minutes to pull herself together before heading to the Mediwitch's station in the hopes she would be somewhat amenable to letting Hermione take over.

Hermione had been in luck, it seemed as though Madam Pomfrey was close to flooing St Mungos for Daphne when Hermione had sought her out. Luckily for Hermione Madam Pomfrey was well aware of her abilities in healing magic and had actually been trying to get the brunette witch to think about a career in it once school was over. So far Hermione had not decided what it was that she wanted to do after graduation, healing had always been interesting to her, especially since she was born into the muggle world where things were so different. She found everything about it fascinating and figured it would always be useful to know the basics. After she had learnt that much she just couldn't stop herself which only came in handy when on the run for a year.

It was twenty minutes later when Hermione returned to Daphne's cubicle, armed with potions, pastes and a list of spells Madam Pomfrey had thought might be useful. She smiled at her new friend as she set everything down on a side table next to the bed before pulling her wand out ready to start. First she handed Daphne a pain potion and urged her to drink it saying it was only going to hurt too much before she moved on to cleaning the wound, which took six goes to get it ready for the next stage. Next Hermione ran a full diagnostic spell, something that was a bit more advanced in healing than she should know how to do but since when had that ever stopped her?

She was happy to find there were only two cracked ribs and the wound on her face amongst a lot of bruising which was easily fixed. What she wasn't happy to find was that Daphne had been attacked with what appeared to be a cursed blade. Or a blade that had been dipped into a cursed potion. It meant she would be left with a scar along the whole right side of her face, from her brow right down to her jaw. It would fade over time and glamours and make up charms could be used to hide it but nothing could ever make it go away completely. Hermione's heart beat faster upon realising that, she herself knew a thing about cursed scars, she had one on her arm after all and after five months it still wasn't looking any better that it did after being freshly treated but at least she could hide it much easier than Daphne would be able to.

Moving on Hermione fixed Daphne's ribs with a quick swish of her wand before cleaning her friends face of all the blood to help her get a better view of the cut. It wasn't as deep as Hermione had originally thought which was a relief and, remembering what had been for her own wound moved to un-stopper the dittany before pouring a few drops over and watched as it worked its magic. After that she continued to add three more potions and cast two more spells until finally she pulled out the paste that would hold the skin back together and seal everything up again, finishing off with rubbing some of it on what bruises she could see. It wasn't long until she was done, not realising she had spent the entire time working in complete silence, focused only on helping her friend. When she was finished she left briefly to let Madam Pomfrey know she had done all she could before returning with a sleeping draught and to sit with her friend a while longer.

"Thank you, Hermione. You didn't have to do that." Daphne whispered, her voice still sounding just as frail as it had when Hermione first came into the cubicle.

"There's no need to thank me. I was just doing what anyone would have done."

"Not anyone." She mumbled as she pulled her hand to touch the scar on her face. "The blade was cursed wasn't it?" She said and though it came out like a question Hermione knew instantly it wasn't. Regardless, she nodded her head anyway.

"I'm sorry. I did all that I could but-"

"You did more than most would Hermione and I am thankful to you for that. Don't apologise for something that is not your fault." Daphne said, her voice taking the usual aristocratic tone Hermione had become familiar with over the past two weeks.

"I don't suppose you would tell me what happened now?" She asked though knew it was pointless.

"I can't Hermione, if Draco, Theo and Blaise found out who did this to me...could you just imagine?" The problem was Hermione _could_ imagine and a part of her, a rather large part at this point, was inclined to agree to whatever means they thought would be necessary even if she did know it was wrong.

"Do you think maybe you would take some of the sleeping draught then at least? I promise I will stay with you the entire time but you really need some sleep Daphne." Hermione almost begged.

"You promise?"

"On Merlin's grave." Hermione replied sincerely.

Hermione stuck to her word and didn't leave Daphne's side at all that day, not when Madam Pomfrey told her she should go to lunch and not when she later mentioned she should get along to her classes. It only took a firm "No" from the brunette for the Mediwitch to stop pressing. It seemed that being a war hero really did come with some benefits as she was sure if she was anyone else she would have been kicked out before she even got the chance the step foot inside.

It was just after the bells rang signalling the end of the second to last class of the day, transfiguration for the eighth years, that Hermione heard the doors to the hospital wing open, not something that would usually draw suspicion but since they were only two weeks into the term and no quidditch matches had been scheduled yet it was odd to have more patients. Unless it was another Slytherin who had been attacked though three in one day would be a new record.

Hermione stood up carefully so as not to wake Daphne and pulled the curtains back slightly to find out who had come to the hospital wing this time, mentally taking note of all the Slytherin's over the past two weeks who she knew had ended up there. Who she wasn't expecting to see was Harry.

Wanting to find out what he was doing she waited and watched him go inside Madam Pomfrey's office, watched him pick up a handful of vials, drink one down and pocket the rest before thanking the Mediwitch and turning to leave and walking right into her.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Me? Hermione what are you doing here? Nobody has seen you since Charms this morning, everyone's looking for you. Nott's going a bit mental. For someone who is 'just your friend' he seems very worried." He said narrowing his green eyes at her.

"Yes, well, friends are allowed to be worried aren't they? And after what happened this morning I can't say I blame him. I was going to send him a patronus but I didn't want to scare him. I'm not sure how familiar he is with them so I decided against it."

"Probably true. So what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'll tell you after you tell me what you just drank and why." Hermione said as she crossed her arms and eyed him harshly.

"Fine. It's a calming draught. I'm sure I don't need to explain much further than that. Now you."

"You're still taking that? I thought you were getting better." Hermione said, her voiced laced with concern.

"I was, and then we came back here. I didn't think it would be easy obviously but I guess I wasn't prepared for how hard it is either. I just take it when I need it. Which is once every couple of days or so. Madam Pomfrey is keeping an eye on me to make sure I don't get addicted." He said with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "Now you."

"Okay but you won't like it. Come here." She said as she dragged him towards Daphne's cubicle. "This morning I found a first year Slytherin crying in the corridors, her nose was broken and the bleeding wouldn't stop. She was really scared and told me she fell over, apparently a lot of Slytherin's are 'falling over' right now." She spat bitterly. "Anyway, I was worried she was afraid of me too so instead of fixing her myself I brought her here. Thought if she sees me helping her and sees Madam Pomfrey helping her she would know we're not all bad. As I was about to leave to get to class I caught a glimpse of someone and I just couldn't leave after that." She finished as she pulled him inside the curtain where she was shocked to find Daphne wide awake and sitting up.

"Oh, I'm sorry Daphne I thought you were still asleep I shouldn't have-"

"It's okay Hermione, I heard you two talking and figured you would bring him in anyway." She said quietly as she shifted to try and get more comfortable.

"What the hell happened to you?" Harry asked in disbelief as he noticed the very prominent, fresh scar right down one side of Daphne's face and her clothes and hair matted with dried blood. "What happened?" He growled, this time turning to Hermione.

"She's not saying." Hermione said as she glanced at Daphne sat on the bed, legs pulled under herself as she tried to make herself as small as possible. "Madam Pomfrey told me Professor Flitwick found her on his rounds last night. I can assure you she already looks a damn sight better than she did when I found her in here this morning. She wouldn't let anyone look at the cut or even touch her." Hermione sighed, it was clear she was worried for her friend.

"Daphne you have to-" Harry started sternly as he turned to sit on the bed beside her.

"No, I don't and I won't. I can't okay? If anyone asks from now on I will just say I don't remember. If Draco, Theo and Blaise found out...I can't lose more people to Askaban okay? Please, it's better this way." Daphne sobbed into her blood covered hands.

Harry, unsure what to do, reached out to her and put his arm around her back where he began to rub soothing circles. "This is getting ridiculous now. All this house unity stuff and the houses have never been more divided. You were attacked last night, Hermione was attacked this morning and all these little kids-"

"Wait, what? Hermione you were attacked? Are you okay?" Daphne asked as she wiped away her tears with a handkerchief that Harry miraculously seemed to pull out from his pocket.

"No, I wasn't." She replied glaring at Harry.

"They called you a 'Death Eater's Whore' Hermione, I'd call that an attack. It doesn't have to be physical to count." He shot back angrily.

"They called you what?!" Daphne gasped, her face loosing what little colour it had left. "Does Theo know?" She asked.

"He was there." Hermione answered sadly as she sat back down in the chair beside the bed.

"Did he..."

"Curse anyone? No. He had to drag me away before I did. He didn't seem to take it well though, the last time I saw him he still seemed pretty angry." Hermione answered back.

"I can imagine. Theo doesn't take well to people he's close to being hurt. I suspect he's taking it harder considering it was you who was victimised." Daphne replied her voice taking on the same tone as is usually did rather than the small, weak voice Hermione had been listening to all day.

"Me? Why me?" She asked confused.

"Is she always this oblivious?" Daphne asked as she turned to Harry.

"About stuff like this? Yeah. Always. Still won't believe that half the boys in the school were drooling after her at the Yule Ball in fourth year." Harry replied as he smiled at the memory, his hand still rubbing small circles on her back even though she had calmed down much more now.

"You can't be serious? You didn't notice?" She asked as she turned to Hermione. "Was Krum that interesting that you honestly didn't notice? Half the girls hated you for it too. I was one of them." Daphne chuckled as she remembered the night clearly.

"You? Why? Because of Viktor?" Hermione asked completely perplexed at how the most beautiful girl in the school seemed to be confessing she was jealous of her when they were fifteen.

"Hermione, do you happen to know who my date to the Yule Ball was?" Daphne asked as her trademark twinkle returned to her eyes. Clearly she was having fun educating the smartest girl in the school and it seemed to be helping in bringing her back to herself.

"Theo. Theo was your date." She answered quietly.

"So you wasn't _too_ distracted by the international quidditch star who spent the night wooing you? Did you happen to notice anybody elses dates? Besides your friends of course, or just mine?" She asked as the smile on her face grew wider.

"I...umm...I'm not sure. I don't understand what you're getting at. Why did you hate me?" Hermione asked, clearly nothing was making sense so far.

"Hermione at that ball most of the guys wanted to be _with you_ and most of the girls wanted to _be you_. My date ignored me the entire night after the first dance. He watched you all night and clearly you watched him too since you seemed to know he was there with me though that was just a technicality. I hated you because Theo was too interested in you to pay me any attention. After that I noticed he watched you a lot. In class, in the library, at dinner, in the corridors. Then I noticed that it wasn't all just him. Say what you want Hermione but you and Theo, you're more than friends. You might not have done anything more than hand holding but I can see it with my own eyes."

"There's nothing to see." Hermione sighed as she bit her lip anxiously.

"Did you know I'm part Veela? We see things differently and I see a bond between you two. A strong bond, and it's getting stronger every day. Keep denying it all you want but even Potter and the rest of the school can see it. I know you're stubborn and Merlin knows Theo is too but for Circe's sake Hermione, stop denying yourself a chance of happiness because by denying yourself happiness you're denying him of it too." Daphne said choosing her words carefully.

"He doesn't, won't, want me like that. Not after what happened this morning. He already suggested moving out. I don't care what they call me but Theo clearly does." Hermione replied sadly.

"Of course he cares what they call you, because he cares _for you_. Just as you care for him. This bond, I'm not talking about some muggle theory here you know. Its a real thing in our world Hermione. It's rare. I've only ever seen one other before. You can't deny the bond is there. It's like you were made for each other. Maybe one day I will sit and explain it to you better. Or maybe I can find you a book if that helps. Any human who is part creature can see it as we have heightened senses. I'm surprised Professor Lupin has never mentioned it before." Daphne mused.

"She's right Hermione, I mean I don't know about the bond stuff, I'm not a Veela, obviously, but it's obvious that you two are more than friends. And if you think he doesn't want you then you should have seen him all day today. He's been a nightmare. I wanted to hex him myself. He's worried about you since he hasn't seen you since half ten this morning, just trust me when I tell you he's been unbearable. I feel bad for _Malfoy_. That's how bad I'm talking." Harry joked.

"Wait, Theo doesn't know you're here? You never told him?" Daphne asked eyes wide.

"I've been with you all day Daph, I didn't want to leave you. I promised I wouldn't remember?" Hermione pointed out.

"Yes but I thought you would have at least told him where you were going and that he might have came to see you earlier whilst I was sleeping. Salazar I'm not surprised you want to hex him Potter. I've been gone since last night and now Hermione goes missing after being called a Death Eater's Whore. I'm surprised he's even still in class! Do you think you could go and let him know we're both here?" She asked as she turned to him.

"Only if you will stop calling me Potter."

"Deal." Daphne grinned. "Harry"

"Daphne. Right, wish me luck, I'm about to go and interrupt a werewolf and talk him into letting me stay out of class. Any tips?" Harry asked the girls.

"I would just say that since you were the one to destroy the darkest wizard of all time, _twice_ that the class is rather unnecessary to you." Daphne joked as Harry stood to leave.

"I'll think of something. I'll be back soon." He said laughing lightly before walking out of the big double doors of the hospital wing.

It was somewhere between five and ten minutes later when Harry found himself knocking on the door to the Defence Against The Dark Arts classroom, it felt a little odd to be knocking considering he should actually be sitting at one of the desks but he pushed the door open anyway.

"Harry, you're late." Professor Lupin said to him.

Harry smiled up at his professor and friend before replying "Sorry sir, I can't stay. I've been sent to retrieve two of your students." He said as his eyes skimmed across Pansy Parkinson who looked as though she was in a world of her own, her eyes bloodshot from crying, clearly she was worried for her missing friends.

"Is that so Harry? Do you care to tell me what you need with them?" Lupin asked.

Harry let his eyes linger on two of the empty seats before glancing back at the professor to make sure he understood. "Unfortunately it's not my business to tell sir but I need Nott and Parkinson." Harry said as he noticed his classmates all turn to look to the students in question.

"I take it they won't be back before the end of class?" Lupin asked.

"I doubt it sir. If you wish us to catch up on today's work give it to Ginny and I will personally make sure it gets done." Harry answered.

"And what if they don't understand something?" Lupin asked with a raised brow, clearly he was taking some sort of enjoyment out of the situation.

"Then I will help them. I did destroy the darkest wizard of all time, twice. So I'm told. Shouldn't that mean an automatic O?" Harry countered to the amusement of his classmates.

"Some might say your mother was the one to defeat him the first time and, according to the Ministry, no matter how many dark wizards you manage to defeat or how many times, you won't be graduating school without your N.E.W.T.s. I will pass the homework along to Miss Weasley and I'm counting on you to make sure all of you get your work done." Lupin said as he narrowed his eyes at Harry slightly before turning back to face his class. "Mr Nott, Ms Parkinson, you may be excused from class but if your work is not handed in I will be issuing detentions. Understood?"

"Yes Sir." Theo and Pansy both mumbled as they shoved their books, parchment and quills back in their bags and followed Harry out the door.

"Where are we going Potter?" Theo demanded as he moved to catch up with the raven haired wizard who was already half way up the corridor.

"The hospital wing." Harry answered without turning around to look at the two Slytherin's.

"The hospital wing? Why?" Pansy asked.

"Because that's where they are." He said simply.

"Wait, who are 'they'? Theo asked his tone laced with panic and alarm.

"Hermione and Daphne. I found them. They're in the hospital wing." He answered trying not to turn around as see the looks on either of their faces.

"They're what? Are they okay?" Pansy asked stopping in her tracks.

Harry gave up and turned around to look at them both, Theo's face was pale, Harry knew the man had been going crazy all day with worry over the two witches. "Hermione is perfectly fine. Well, she's had a rough day but it's not her that you nee to worry about. I can't tell you what's happened because I don't know and even if I did it wouldn't be my business to tell you anyway. The sooner we get there the better. Come on." He said as he started to walk again.

"You sure Hermione is fine?" Theo asked as he fell into step beside Harry. "Because I swear to Merlin if I get there and there is nothing wrong with her I might hex her myself for having me worry like this and if I get there and she's not I might hex you for leading me to believe she's fine." Theo scowled.

"She's fine, you won't be hexing anybody trust me. Just give her a break she's had a hard day."

"She's not the only one. All these kids getting hurt every day then Daph doesn't show up to breakfast and that McClaggen kid calls Hermione a...and then she just disappears after class. I was worried. I'm _still_ worried." Theo sighed.

"So you and Hermione, when are you going to stop pretending to each other you're just friends?" Harry asked as casually as he could.

"I don't know what you mean." Theo replied.

"Bullshit Theo. It's bullshit. You know and we know it. Just admit it and get it over with." Pansy hissed.

"Okay lets say for a minute that you might be right-"

"We _are_ right." Pansy interrupted.

"-After this morning I hardly think she would be open to anything...more. I'm surprised she still want's to be friends. If she does since I've not seen her all day and she didn't think to let me know where she was." He said clearly still annoyed at the witch for disappearing.

"You know what's funny?"

"None of this?" Theo moaned.

"Just before I left the hospital wing to come and get you we had this exact same conversation with Hermione and guess what her answer was? Apparently, after this morning she think _you_ don't want anything to do with _her_. Funny." Harry mused as they reached the big double doors to the hospital wing.

"Not the word I would choose. And no, I don't want her to go through what she did this morning."

"Well she already is, as your _friend._ So you can carry on denying you have feelings for each other and still have to listen to her being called a death eaters whore or you can just be together and listen to it because either way it's going to happen. She's Hermione she doesn't care what they call her. Daphne said something earlier, what was it? Oh yeah, that's it, she said 'As long as you're denying your own happiness then you're also denying hers.' I think it's something you need to think about." Harry finished as he pushed open the doors and strode over to Daphne's cubicle.

As predicted by Daphne, Theo didn't take the news well, Pansy actually broke down into tears upon the sight of her best friend while Theo's eyes flashed with a range of emotions before settling on relief. He was taking the silver lining where he could and being thankful she was still alive, even if she did look awful and caked in blood.

Upon seeing Hermione he wanted to be mad at the witch for worrying him so much but he felt himself letting it all go so he could hold her in his arms, thankful that she was unhurt though exhausted after playing Mediwitch for most of the day. He didn't miss how his heart beat faster when she was engulfed in his arms or how cold and empty he felt when she wasn't.

It was some time later that night after the evening meal had been served in the great hall when Madam Pomfrey sent for a couple of house elves to bring the five students some food, Daphne needed to stay in overnight and since most of them hadn't eaten a thing all day she demanded they eat lest they all be admitted to the ward for malnutrition. Pansy had stepped out briefly to go the Dungeons and pick up some clean bed clothes and toiletries for her friend while Hermione worked on cleaning her up of all the blood as best as she could since she only had her wand and a bowl of soapy water to hand. Daphne thanked the four other students profusely for their help and didn't object when Hermione told her to take a pain potion or a calming draught or wanted to put more cream on the scar and bruises. She sat and listened as Harry made joke after joke about how she just wanted to steal his limelight and had only went one better by getting her faced carved instead of his little lightening bolt. If it had come from anyone else they might have thought he was heartless but as it was they all sat and laughed together, sharing a rather large box of Honeydukes' Finest chocolates that Pansy had found amongst Daphne's things and that Daphne had declared were actually supposed to be Hermione's birthday present.

At around nine that night Daphne had to make Theo take Hermione back to their quarters, the small brunette was dead on her feet and could barely keep her eyes open and Daphne was worried she was going to insist on staying the night to keep an eye on her.

"Theo, take Hermione home and get her in bed. She's used a lot of magic fixing me up today and it's obviously taken it's toll." Daphne had said as Hermione's head rested on Theo's shoulder.

"Home. That's a new one." Theo snorted as he stood up to stretch and get their things ready.

"It's what it is, isn't it?" Daphne shrugged.

"Suppose so. You sure you don't want me to come back and stay?" He asked.

"No. I'll be fine. And take Pansy with you. I'm not arguing with you Pans. I need sleep and so do you." She said turning to the other witch.

"You're kicking us out?" Pansy asked.

"I'm going to take the rest of the sleeping draught just as Hermione said I should and try to get a decent amount of sleep. Without interruptions." She said turning to glare at Harry.

"Sorry about that." He mumbled.

"I don't like the idea of you being here alone Daph, what if whoever did this comes back?" Theo asked.

"I'm staying. She'll be fine. You look after Hermione and I'll look after Daphne. Okay?"

"You sure?" Theo asked the other man.

"Honestly, what trouble could she get up to while I'm here?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"You know, I have a list, a very long list might I add, of all the trouble I've been caught up in when he's around. Don't trust him." Hermione said as she yawned.

"She will be fine. _We_ will be fine." Harry scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "Just get out the lot of you so she can get some sleep and I can eat the rest of these chocolates." Harry berated as he picked another chocolate covered caramel from the half eaten box.

"Goodnight Daph, don't forget to take the potions exactly as I told you." Hermione said as she hugged the blonde goodbye before moving to kiss Harry on the cheek. "I'll come by and see you in the morning." She as she grabbed Theo's hand and let the other two say their goodbyes before they walked Pansy back to the dungeons, thankful it was on the way to their quarters since Daphne was right about Hermione, she was dead on her feet.

It was less than fifteen minutes later when Theo pulled Hermione towards her room, worried if he didn't she might just collapse on the couch instead.

"Goodnight love, I'll see you in the morning." He said as he kissed her forehead and stepped back to leave and let her get herself undressed. His hand still entwined in hers.

"Theo?" Hermione called softly as she pulled him back.

Theo turned to her on instinct "Yes?"

"Will you stay with me tonight? It's been a long and horrible day and I don't want to fight off the nightmares alone. I'm too tired." She asked him as she nervously bit her lip.

"Hermione..."

"Please Theo. I need you." She sounded almost desperate and he couldn't handle it. Before he knew it he was standing in his own room finding some pyjama bottoms and collecting his toothbrush before returning to find Hermione already under the covers and waiting for him. A couple of minutes later he blew the last lantern out and slipped under the covers.

"Are you sure love?" He asked as she turned to face him.

"Aren't you?"

"This isn't about me." He answered as he moved his hand to her face to tuck a stray curl behind her eat.

"Does it feel wrong Theo?" Hermione asked as she kissed him on the cheek before turning back around and snuggling back into his body as close as she could, reaching for his hand and entwining her fingers in his as she let the exhaustion finally take over.

"Nothing has ever felt more right." Theo finally whispered as he lay there in the bed of the witch he knew he had feelings for and he tried at first, not to take any enjoyment out of the situation but after the day he had had he couldn't help but hold her that little bit tighter or breathe her in when she moved and her hair got caught in his face. He was taking whatever good from this situation as he could.


	6. Chapter 6

At around three that morning Hermione woke up from what had, up until that moment, been a very peaceful nights sleep. The shaking coming from beside her in the bed indicated that a peaceful nights sleep was not something Theo was having, at all. With his hand still gripped in hers, much tighter than it had been to begin with she turned to face him and almost immediately noticed the beads of sweat clinging to his forehead. His face lost of any colour that was usually there which was no mean feat since he wasn't exactly a pale person to start with. His eyelids twitching frantically indicating his eyes were doing anything but resting and his lips looked unusually dry as he screamed the same thing out over and over and over again. Hermione took note of his whole body shaking rather violently as he started to thrash around unable to wake himself from whatever nightmare he was being forced to relive.

"No. Please. Please no." He moaned painfully.

Hermione jumped into action right away though she never dared let go of his hand and instead squeezed it back so as to offer some support. "Theo" she whispered lightly, using her free hand to gently shake him hoping it would be enough. It wasn't even close.

"No I don't want...NO" His voice was getting louder and more frantic.

"Theo? Theo please wake up." She tried louder as she shook him with as much force as she could muster. It still didn't work.

For the next five minutes Theo carried on crying out in terror, or pain but probably both as Hermione tried everything she could think of to get through to him. Panic was well and truly set in and heart beating wildly against her chest at the sight before her. After one last try of shaking him and calling his name she gave up and moved across the bed, straddling his hips and holding his arms down to stop him hurting himself, when she leaned down and called his name again he still didn't respond. Taking a deep and rather shaky breath Hermione removed her hands from his arms and placed them at either side of his face, letting the pad of her thumb rub against his cheek gently and, as a stray tear managed to betray her she leaned in as close as she could and whispered "Theo love, wake up. Come back to me." And though she had been trying to wake him for longer than should be necessary Hermione was still shocked when his body relaxed instantly and his eyelids fluttered open at the sound of her voice and feel of her so close.

"Her...Hermione" Theo panted heavily.

"Theo? Theo are you okay? You scared me." Hermione sniffled, clearly seeing him in such a way had upset her.

"I...I will be...it's just-" He started as he moved his left arm as far away from their view as possible making it evident what his nightmare ha been about.

"A nightmare. I get them too." She replied as her eyes slowly drifted from his face to her own uncovered forearm. "But don't you dare hide that from me. I'm not scared of it. And I'm not scared of you. It's just another tattoo as far as I'm concerned. The war is over. It doesn't define you _now_ and Merlin Theo, it didn't define you _then_. You're...you're Theo and you can be or do anything you want to. The past is in the past." Hermione demanded.

"Anything I want?" He asked as his trademark smirk grew.

"Anything." Hermione agreed quickly looking into his eyes as his pupils grew larger and larger.

"Anything...hmmm" Theo mused quietly, not breaking eye contact with the witch who was currently on top of him.

"What do you _want_ Theo?" Hermione asked breathlessly as her hands played with the hair at the nape of his neck - _wait, when did that happen?_ She thought to herself as she continued to twirl the strands around her fingers, smiling at how not only did he not seem to be objecting to the contact but he was clearly enjoying it too.

"You" He breathed effortlessly,

Hermione hadn't really needed him to spell it out to her, she was after all sat on top of him and could in fact feel exactly how much he wanted her right now but somehow the confession still shocked and exhilarated her.

"Me?" She asked as she bit her bottom lip to stop herself from making any sort of noises and embarrassing herself since he happened to shift his hips at that exact moment.

Theo couldn't help the smile that spread across his face at the sight, she was positively beautiful and she didn't even know it. It took barely a second before he had grabbed her hips and flipped her back into the mattress as he leaned over her, dangerously close for two people who kept insisting they were only friends. "You" He said much firmer this time.

"You have me Theo." Hermione whispered nervously.

As Theo moved his hand up to her face, to brush his thumb against her soft pink lips he leaned in closer and whispered "I want all of you Hermione" next to her ear, causing her skin to tingle under the heat of his warm breath.

Shivering under his stare as he moved to look into her eyes Hermione could feel the intense heat. She knew he wanted her right now, she wanted him too but would he want her tomorrow? She couldn't just go back to being friends if she got even a closer glimpse of him in this light. She'd watched this man grow up, he'd been her first friend in this world and she had looked out for him as best she could. When she was at the stage of noticing boys all she really saw was him. And how gorgeous he was, how handsome and sweet and beautiful he was. Noticed how unlike other boys their age he valued his education and especially his friendships. She had been very jealous of Daphne at the Yule Ball but it was hardly like she could have gone with him anyway. She hadn't thought she could carry on being his friend and when the headmistress had put forward the house unity plan she had secretly been ecstatic at the prospect of rekindling their friendship. And then they were living together and it was perfect. He was perfect. Their friendship had been as easy as it was that first day they met back when they were eleven but this time when he held her hand she felt her skin tingle and her heart skip a beat. When he called her love or kitten or any other of his silly names her heart always fluttered. When they sat up together each night with butterbeer and doing homework she felt content but that night having him in her bed felt perfect. She felt whole. She couldn't lose this, lose him all for one brief moment of weakness. She wanted him too, Merlin she _needed_ him. She already cared for him more than she would like to admit, if she lost him now it would break her. And it had only been two weeks, or had it been seven years?

Reaching out she placed her hand on his cheek and traced his bottom lip just as he had done to her, watching her thumb brushing against the rosy skin as she wished it was her own mouth instead of her thumb that was touching him. She had stared at those lips for years and wondered what it would be like to kiss them but never had she been this close. Never had she touched them. Sighing heavily she turned her eyes to focus on him, shocked to see he had been watching her with an intense heat she had never experienced before. "I-I want you too Theo. All of you and that's why I, we, can't. I can't lose you."

"Why would you lose me?" He questioned her as he pulled back ever so slightly clearly confused.

"What happens tomorrow when you wake up? What happens when you realise what you've done and...and-"

"And you think I'll regret it?" Theo asked sharply as his eyes narrowed just a fraction.

"You might, how do you know-"

"I _know_. Merlin Hermione, every single time I look at you I almost can't stand it but then I can't bare to look away either. I don't just want you for one night. I don't just want one kiss and I most certainly don't want to lose you. I want _you_ kitten. I want all of you. I wanted you yesterday, I want you now and I'll want you tomorrow. In fact I'm pretty sure my want for you is just going to keep on growing." Theo murmured as he leaned his forehead against hers

Hermione let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding in and reaching her hand up to his hair again she started to run her fingers through, something she realised she already loved doing even though she had only done it the twice. His reactions to her fingers delicately stroking his head made her knees weak. "Then I'm yours love." She said with conviction.

"Mine." Theo whispered as he breathed out a sigh of relief right before his lips crashed down on hers.

He had intended for the kiss to be sweet and simple, soft and caring, to show her how he really felt about her because he was afraid she might be scared of the words he may use. He had watched this woman for over seven years, had held her hand when she was just a girl and he just a boy and even back then it felt somehow like he was putting another puzzle piece of his life together. When she was sorted into Gryffindor he had been upset for weeks. Probably even months because he felt that he'd lost that puzzle piece faster than he had found it. Over the years he did anything he could to be around her without it seeming suspicious but when he spent too long away from her he began to feel a deep ache in his chest and though he knew it was a really strange thing to happen it was true. An actual physical ache. At first he tried to question it, told himself he was being ridiculous but every time he was around he the pain would always go. He never told anyone about it, terrified what they might think. When all his other friends were trying to find ways to look up girls' skirts with mirrors on their shoes and whatever else they could think of all Theo was interested in was Hermione, his feelings for her growing over the years. It made it difficult to watch her with other men. To see articles in the Daily Prophet of her and whoever Rita Skeeter was saying she was with now, he knew most of it was drivel, this was Skeeter after all but he still hated it. For a while he had thought she might end up dating her red headed friend after he had heard she'd set birds on him and his obnoxious girlfriend one day whilst in tears but he came to find out the tears were more to do with the idiots treatment of their friendship than anything else and was relieved. Even if he knew he couldn't be with her he knew Ron Weasley wasn't good enough but then, he thought nobody was. During sixth year in school he spent a lot of time making sure she was safe, things were getting out of control in the wizarding world and he was worried for the witch, if her blood status hadn't been a problem the fact that she was best friends with Harry bloody Potter definitely made the target on her back much bigger, so Theo would go out of his way to check up on her since it was all he could do. He'd long ago given up any hopes he could ever kiss the soft, pink lips he had fantasied about kissing for years but would have happily traded it in if it would secure her safety and future in their fucked up world.

And here he was now his lips on hers after all this time. After telling himself he was stupid to even think it would ever happen and merlin, she tasted like honey and he couldn't control himself.

His lips pressed against hers, sucking her bottom lip gently in between his and nipping it lightly as he released it she gasped loudly and pulled his head closer to her with her fingers still tangled in his locks. That's when Theo broke his resolve, moving one hand to her waist and keeping the other cupping her cheek he took the opportunity to delve his tongue inside her open mouth and a battle began for dominance. When she caught his tongue between her teeth and bit down teasingly he groaned into her mouth as his hand moved up and skimmed the underneath her breast through the shirt - his shirt - that she was wearing. The fact that he couldn't feel a bra through the fabric drove him wilder.

Hermione let Theo's tongue go and they fought once more before finding a rhythm that suited them. The kiss was like a volcano erupting after years of being believed to be inactive. She could feel and hear her heart pounding against her chest as his lips and tongue caressed hers and his fingers mapped her skin, tracing patterns and stoking the fire further. She felt the fire burning in every muscle in her body and she yearned for more. She wanted him closer, needed more.

They had been kissing for what felt like forever and not long enough at the same time, neither of them wanting to stop even to catch a breath when Theo pulled one of Hermione's hands from his hair and with his kisses much slower he placed her hand across his bare chest where his heart lay. "Do you feel that?" He whispered as he pulled away slightly "you do that to me." He said before kissing her again.

Hermione waited as she felt his heart, beating in time with her own, felt the beating against her palm and she copied his actions by placing his hand across her chest whispering "you do that to me" before placing a soft, sweet kiss to his lips once more.

She watch as he closed his eyes and concentrated on the beats and when his eyes snapped open she knew he had realised they were beating in sync with each other. "Wow" was all he could muster.

"Wow? Is that all you've got? The great and educated Theodore Nott has been reduced to saying wow?" Hermione joked as she tried, and failed, to hide a rather large yawn.

"It's late." He shrugged in way of explanation "and you're tired love you should sleep." He said as kissed her forehead and cupped her face.

"I don't want to sleep." She moaned in a toddler like manner which only made Theo chuckle fondly.

"Sleep love." He said as he kissed her softly before lying back down beside her, pulling her close so she was lay on his chest.

"That was-" Hermione started as she drifted off.

"-I know" Theo finished. And he really did know, it was everything he had dreamed it would be and more. So much more it was beyond perfection. He never wanted to stop. He'd kissed girls before, he'd kissed a great many of girls before but none of them had even came close to how it felt to kiss Hermione and he was sure they never would. This was something different he could feel it.


	7. Chapter 7

Theo woke sometime before Hermione's muggle alarm clock rang out, years of training his body never to sleep in meant he generally woke too early which was a shame on a day like today when they had their first two lessons free. Upon opening his eyes and moving to stretch he realised there was a small brunette witch lay across his chest and the events of the night before came flooding back to him. A smile broke across Theo's face as he remembered in great detail what had led to Hermione sleeping on him the way she was, as he remembered the feel and taste of her lips on his.

He reached down carefully so as not to wake the sleeping witch and tucked the stray strands of hair that had managed to get in her face, behind her ear where he realised it wouldn't stay so quickly gave up and decided to plait the golden honey and chocolate brown mane out of her way.

"Who taught the lovely Theodore Nott how to plait hair?" Hermione joked sleepily when she woke up a few minutes later.

"What makes you think someone taught me?" He asked.

"Because it's not something boys generally need to learn how to do."

"Says you. Apparently I had to learn just in case I ever had a daughter one day. Because I couldn't rely on elves for everything you know." Theo said in a mocking tone.

"Or their mother." Hermione pointed out. "So who taught you? Don't tell me it's another pureblood rule because that would have to be the strangest one yet. Though I wouldn't mind seeing Draco trying to plait hair." She said with a stupid grin on her face at the image of the blonde sat around trying to plait his future daughters' hair.

"I wouldn't mind seeing Draco trying to plait _your_ hair. It should be its own weapon. How do you manage?" Theo teased as he finished on plait and moved on to the other.

"Years of practice."

"Hmm…" Theo nodded thoughtfully. "Not a pureblood custom no, though there are many ridiculous ones this isn't up there. A girl I once knew taught me when we were younger. She…she was my best friend."

Noticing Theo's sombre tone immediately Hermione replied as best she could without pushing him further "She sounds wise."

"She liked to think she was." Theo answered with a small smile. "How are you feeling now?"

"Me? Theo you were the one stuck in a nightmare I was-"

"Exhausted after playing mediwitch to my friend, and I truly appreciate it but you didn't answer the question." He said sternly as he looked into her amber eyes.

"I-I'm fine. A little tired still but nothing coffee won't fix. How are you?"

"I'm feeling much better. Managed to get back to sleep eventually too. Thank you. For being there last night. It means a lot."

"Where else would I have been? And besides, friends, remember?" She said testing the waters, clearly what had happened the night before still on her mind.

"Friends? Is that what we are?" Theo asked as he eyed her questioningly.

"I don't know." Hermione replied quietly, worrying her lower lip between her teeth.

Theo finished playing with her hair and moved his hands to cup her face "You still think I regret last night? After what I told you? he asked gently.

Hermione looked up into his green eyes, doing her best to ignore how they always seemed to send shivers through her entire being when she looked into them "Don't you?"

"The only thing I regret is that it took so long to happen at all. Honestly love, I've wanted this for years. I can't stop thinking about you and last night was-"

"-perfect." Hermione finished for him absent-mindedly before blushing.

"Perfect." Theo agreed. "You said you were mine and if you'll have me, and it won't be easy, people will have some things to say about it, but if you'll have me, I'm yours."

"I really don't care what people say about me Theo."

"I know you don't but _I_ do. Especially when it's because of me. I wish I could stop it but I know I can't and it hurts me to know you'll be subjected to being called… _things_ …because of me." Theo answered as he remembered the incident from the morning before.

"I've been called worse." Hermione said as she rubbed her fingers along the scar on her forearm.

"I know." Theo sighed.

"I'm a mudblood Theo, they'll likely have something things to say to you about that." Hermione warned.

Theo winced at Hermione's casual use of the word he had grown up to associate with _'her kind'_ and everything bad about their world, at how easily she could let such an awful racist slur pass her lips. Her good lips. She was the epitome of good and she shouldn't be saying words as hateful as that in Theo's opinion. Nor should she be using it to call herself names. "Don't. Hermione don't call yourself that, please." He asked, almost begged.

"It's what I am. It's what people will tell you I am when they find out that you're not dating the perfect pureblood princess." Hermione answered bitterly.

"They can say what they want, you're not...that word...I've never believed what they taught us. Blood is blood for all I care. It's all red and if I wanted to be dating a girl who has no opinions of her own, who does exactly as her parents have always told her to, who has to watch what she says, calculates exactly how close she can sit from me or how much flesh she can show then trust me I would be dating Millicent. But I want you Hermione, you. Muggle-born you, who sits as close as she wants to me, dresses how ever she pleases, says what she wants, lives her life the way she wants to and Merlin, has her own opinions." Theo said shaking his head and laughing fondly at Hermione's opinions. "You have _a lot_ of opinions, love."

Hermione moved up the bed and kissed Theo softly "Well then we will just have to set an example won't we?" she said before moving to get out the bed.

"Oh I don't think so witch, come back here." He said as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the bed before tickling her.

"Stop. Stop. Theo stop." Hermione giggled, her voice going high pitched as he leaned over her wriggling body but instead of listening to the witches pleas he carried on with his ministrations as he moved his mouth to place kisses down her neck, his fingers slowly changing from the fast paced tickling to slowly roaming her skin.

"Sure you want me to stop kitten?" He whispered huskily in her ear as he heard her gasp and moan beneath him. "I don't think you want me to stop at all."

Hermione shifted her legs automatically, giving him easier access to her body without realising and bit down on her lip harder to stop herself moaning too loudly. "No." She breathed shakily as his kisses edged across her jaw and toward her mouth.

"I didn't think so." Theo replied, and though Hermione couldn't see the smirk she could feel it against her skin.

Shoving both hands in his hair and directing his mouth to hers Hermione started to absently play with the hair at the nape of his neck like she had the previous night just as their lips met and she kissed him wildly, leaving no room for imagination. And then, not one to be outdone twisted her body in one quick movement so their positions were reversed, their lips never leaving each other.

It was barely a minute a later with Hermione on top of Theo wearing nothing more than his shirt and a pair of knickers when the muggle alarm clock finally rang out.

 ***BEEP BEEP BEEP***

"I hate that damned thing." Theo moaned as Hermione collapsed on top of him before reaching out to turn the alarm off.

"After one morning?" She asked as she smiled at his sudden mood change that she found cute though she would never say so if he asked. _Eighteen year old wizards do not want to be thought of as cute_ she thought to herself.

"Yes. Can't we stay in bed just a bit longer?" He asked, full on pouting at the loss of her lips on his.

"Not a chance. Someone owes me coffee for waking me up early and I want to see Daphne before classes start." Hermione replied as she stepped out of the bed towards the dressing table. "And apparently my hair is going to take forever to sort out this morning since my charming boyfriend decided to try and plait it." She said as she looked in the mirror with a sigh.

"Try" Theo snorted. "I think I did a good job considering that mop of yours." He laughed as he turned to watch her. "You know, the view from here is absolutely delightful." He said as she bent down to pick something up off the floor.

"Out. Now." Hermione shouted as she threw a cushion at him.

Theo dodged the cushion easily thanks to quidditch reflexes before rolling out of the bed and flicking his wand at the covers to make it up as he walked towards the door. "I'll put the coffee on then." He said cheerfully as he walked in to their common room which really was more of a open plan kitchen and living room in all honesty.

As Theo walked in to their rather small kitchen area with a bare chest and a huge smile on his face ready to put the coffee on he wasn't expecting to see Ronald Weasley stood there eating an apple.

"Weasley, What are _you_ doing here?" Theo asked as his voice took on the usual pureblood tones he was so well accustomed to.

"Came to see 'Mione." Ron stated matter of factly. "Not that it's any of _your_ business anyway."

Theo raised a brow at the ginger man in front of him "You're in _my_ living quarters, eating _my_ food and I know Hermione didn't give you the password to get in so yes I think it is _my_ business." Theo said as he moved towards the coffee pot to put it on.

"I tried to stop him but I was too tired to kick him out." A voice rang out from behind them.

"Potter?" Theo asked as he turned to the raven haired wizard. "What are you doing here?"

"Pomfrey kicked me out about an hour ago so I came here to let you know she's not letting any visitors in to see Daphne today. She didn't get much sleep last night. And I fell asleep on the couch, woke up when I heard this idiot getting through the wards." He answered, gesturing to Ron as a large yawn over came him.

"So neither you or Daphne slept?" Theo asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow.

Harry turned bright red before answering the other man "umm…no. I guess not."

"Well thanks for being there for her, I didn't want her to be alone but Hermione-"

"Needed you. Yeah I know I was there remember?" He joked as he tried to prop himself up against the breakfast counter.

"I've got some pepper up if you want it?" Theo asked as he moved towards the cupboard that kept their potions in.

"Yeah. Thanks." Harry said as he took the offered vial.

"Harry you're not seriously going to take anything he gives you are you? He's a _death eater!_ " Ron shouted.

"Well then it's a good job I always carry a bezoar with me. Just in case, isn't it?" Harry answered as he swallowed the contents of the vial down in one before washing it out and handing it back.

Ron's face grew red at his best friends lackadaisy attitude to what he considered a genuine threat "you're a bloody idiot you know that?! He could have done anything to that!"

"Well whatever he did I rather hope it wakes me up a bit. Not sure I can sit through Potions without falling asleep, just pair me with Seamus and we've got ourselves a new team. The dynamic duo. Got any coffee?" Harry asked as he turned to Theo.

"Already on. Witches orders." Theo grinned back.

"Witches ord…?" Harry repeated as he looked from Theo back to the open bedroom door he had left not five minutes before. He'd been to see Hermione in her living quarters twice before and knew the layout quite well so he knew full well there was only one room that lead that way. Hermione's room. That Theo had clearly stayed in the night before. "Oh this will be fun. _Not_. Wake me up when they stop arguing will you?" Harry asked as he put his head in his hands to shield out the light.

"When who stops arguing?" Hermione asked as she walked through the kitchen area with her hair pulled into a much tidier side plait though she was still only wearing Theo's shirt. "Harry? What are you doing here?" She asked as she hugged him and kissed his head. "You look tired."

"Pomfrey kicked him out." Theo answered for the raven haired man. "And Daphne hasn't slept all night, probably because the Chosen One kept her up. So we're not allowed in this morning." Theo said as he passed Hermione and Harry their coffees.

"Thanks love" Hermione replied as she kissed his cheek whilst accepting the cup.

"Love?" Ron spat in disgust. "Why would you kiss him? And what are you _wearing_ 'Mione?"

"I kissed him good morning and because I _wanted_ to. And I'm wearing my pyjamas" Hermione replied coolly.

"Where's the rest of them?" The ginger hissed.

"To be fair love, you already kissed me good morning. Several times. And I rather like your clothes, though I wouldn't recommend walking around the castle like that." Theo chuckled as he leaned back against the counter and sipped his own coffee.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her boyfriends theatrics before replying "you would" and shaking her head fondly at him.

Ron looked between the two of them for a few seconds before his eyes darted back to the door they had both emerged from. "What's back there?" He demanded.

"Bedroom." Hermione answered.

"A bedroom? Just one?"

"Hermione's bedroom" Theo clarified.

"You let him in your bedroom?!" Ron shouted louder than was necessary especially considering the size of the kitchen they were all stood in. "He's a death eater Hermione!"

" _Former_ death eater." Hermione corrected. "And of course I let him in my room. He's my boyfriend." She said casually.

"Boyfriend?! You-you can't be serious!" Ron spat, his face now a much deeper shade of tomato red.

Hermione eyed him carefully, raising a single brow at the man and asking "do I look like I'm joking?"

"Hermione, he's…he's a-" The ginger spluttered, clearly lost for words.

"Former death eater yes. I know. He's also brilliant, smart, kind, caring, and not bad to look at either." The witch said as she winked at Theo.

"You know what? I came here because I heard McLaggen's brother going on about how you were a death eater's whore, spouting it around school to anyone who would listen. I wanted to make sure you were alright about you know what? He was right! You're nothing but a death eater's whore. He will just use you and leave you and you're making us all look like fools. We fought a war, our names mean something now. Good luck with your death eater. I hope you're very happy together for all of the two weeks it takes for him to realise what a boring snob you really are. Come on Harry, we're going." Ron hissed as he walked towards the door to leave the common room.

"Err no thanks I'm still drinking my coffee." Harry replied as he took another sip of the black liquid. "Besides I'm sticking around to clean up your mess" he mumbled.

"You're on her side?!"

"You called her a death eater's whore so if I have to choose sides then yeah, it'll be Hermione's. And don't you ever call her something like that again. I mean it." He warned as fire flashed across his eyes when he looked to his ginger friend.

"Whatever. I'm going. You two be happy sullying yourselves with the snakes. I'm out of here. I don't need either of you anymore."

"Weasley, wait." Theo called out.

"What the fuck do you want?" Ron hissed.

"Exactly how did you get in?" Theo asked cordially.

"Stupid bitch used the same wards she did when we were on the run they were weaker this time though. Should have known those two would stick together. They always do. Why do you want to know?" He asked as it dawned on him who he was complaining to.

"So I can fix the problem and not have to wake up finding you in my kitchen again and listen to you insult my girlfriend. You think I didn't expect people to call her things because of me? You think I want that? You know what I didn't expect? Her best friend of over seven years to be one of the first to cast the first stone. Get out Weasley and I swear to Merlin, if you ever come near Hermione again I will show you exactly why they made me a death eater." Theo growled as he opened the door for the redhead.

"Are you threatening me, Nott?" Ron asked as he stood as tall as he could next to the Slytherin though it made little difference since Theo was a whole head taller.

"No. That's a promise. You hurt Hermione once more you'll have me and the rest of the snakes to answer to. I promise you that much Weasley." Theo growled as he shut the door behind him and got to work immediately changing the wards.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry joined the seventh years at the Slytherin table that morning intent on keeping his distance from Ron and wanting to show his support for his best friend. As the three students sat at the table adorned in green and silver to join Ginny and the other Slytherin's, Ron was sat at the Gryffindor table not taking his eyes off the backs of their heads, his face twisted into what could only be described as pure rage.

"What's got Weasley's knickers in a twist this morning?" Draco asked they sat down.

Hermione and Harry both turned back to look at their house table and friend to see him for themselves before turning back to the meal in front of them.

"He's not happy." Harry replied as he piled bacon and sausages onto his plate.

Ever the sarcastic one, Draco feigned shock before going on to say "No shit Potter. Really?" Before rolling his eyes at the raven haired idiot.

"What could have happened already this morning to make him make a face like that? He's literally got out of bed and came to breakfast" Ginny pointed out.

"Maybe there's no sausages left?" Pansy joked.

"He also broke our wards whilst we were sleeping." Theo added with a scowl. "Fucking prick."

Ginny raised her eyebrow at him before asking "What for?"

"Something about coming to see if Hermione was alright after McLaggen opened his mouth yesterday morning."

"Ah. He's never been the best at making people feel better."

"Does he normally make things worse? Because that's what he did."

Ginny looked over to Harry to see if Theo was telling the truth and when her ex boyfriend nodded his head slowly in reply before quietly tucking into his food she realised something more serious was wrong. "What happened?" She all but demanded.

"Ron didn't like what he saw. Or that Hermione-"

"Had a death eater in her bed?" Hermione finished for him.

"Really? We couldn't just make it through breakfast first?" Theo asked.

"You didn't?!" Ginny shrieked excitedly.

"Oh she did. Ron decided that death eater's whore just about summed her up."

"Don't forget 'boring snob' too." Hermione mumbled.

"Boring. How can anyone think you're boring?" Theo asked as he squeezed Hermione's hand.

"Well since it wasn't me in your bed Granger, I'll have to assume you somehow managed to get my best friend in my stead. Up for a swap?"

"Not in any of my lifetimes. I'm perfectly happy exactly how things are."

"Sure?"

"Draco" Theo warned.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"Wait, did Ron really call you that?" Ginny asked as he eyes flickered over the brother on the other side of the room.

"He did, I was there" Harry confirmed somberly as he pulled apart a piece of bread instead of eating it.

"I swear I don't know what goes through his mind sometimes" she sighed before remembering the full conversation and her attention was redirected. "Wait, why was he in your bed? I want to know everything!" Ginny announced gleefully.

"Because I asked him to?"

"Why did you ask him to?"

"Because I had a bit of a crap day yesterday and I didn't want to be alone." Hermione muttered quietly as she remembered the day before.

"So you just invite the first man you see into your bed. Makes sense."

"The first man I saw would have been Harry so let's not even think about that."

"Ew! Right! So did anything happen?"

"You mean besides sleeping? Nothing you want to hear about Gin."

"Oh please. I want to hear about it all. Tell me."

"It's private." The curly haired witch insisted.

"Just gate crash their common room. Not so private then." Harry added.

"Nice try Potter, I've already changed the wards. I really don't fancy waking up to find Weasley in my kitchen again so he can criticise my girlfriend about everything from her clothes and personality to her choice in men"

"Girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?"

"Finally!"

"Urgh my best friends dating a fucking Gryffindor what is the world coming to." Draco groaned.

"You were just offering yourself up in his place a minute ago make up your mind." Pansy berated her friend.

"So who won the bet?" Blaise asked

"I did" Luna answered as she approached their table "such a lovely day to start new adventures. Wouldn't you agree?" She asked as she took a seat next to Pansy.

"It's raining." Pansy pointed out as they all looked through the windows.

"The weather is merely peripheral in how we should determine if a day shall be good or not. I have personally had many bad days when the sun has shone its brightest." Luna replied. "For example I hear last Easter was the nicest spring we have had in many moons, unfortunately I was already occupied in the Malfoy dungeons to be able to enjoy it myself but I am thankful for the extraordinary company I had during that time. It made my stay there a lot less bothersome." She added as she smiled at Draco.

"Mate you were the worst over Easter. She must be nuts if she thinks you were good company." Blaise whispered in Draco's ear.

Draco's face grew red from a mixture of embarrassment and anger. Embarrassed over Luna being able to so casually talk about how she was forced to spend weeks in his family's dungeons at the request of Voldemort and his role in that, and anger over Blaise's comments about the girl he had done his best to help out in a bad situation. It's not like he could have done much under the watchful eye of his crazy aunt Bellatrix and his own father but he would often go to the dungeons and talk to her for hours on end. She was the only person in the whole manor that was sane and that was saying something considering he didn't have a clue what she was saying half the time. Not that he cared. After the first couple of days talking to her he found himself drawn to the doe eyed blonde witch and would have his own bonded elf make sure she had plenty of food, water and a pillow and blanket to keep her warm. He never admitted that he was the one who had orchestrated such things but he was sure she knew. Luna always knew.

"Just give it a rest will you Blaise?" He hissed as he stood up to leave the table.

"Salazar! I was just joking. Chill out."

"It's not a fucking joke alright?" He shouted as he left the table.

"What's up with him?" Theo asked as he looked up at the exchange.

"Not a clue." Blaise answered as he watched Draco walk away.

"Someone should go after him." Hermione said as she watched him walk across the hall with his head bent low. "He left his bag too" she pointed out with a look towards where he had just vacated his seat.

"Are you volunteering Granger? Because if you are feel free" Blaise added as he sat back in his seat.

"What? Me? No. No I hardly think that would be conducive right now."

"Don't worry Hermione, I'll go." Luna said brightly as she picked up his bag and began to follow him before anyone could protest.

"So, ignoring the hippogriff in the room; does anyone know how Daphne is this morning?" Pansy asked.

"Asleep, I hope." Hermione answered as she glared at Harry.

"What happened?"

"The-boy-who-continues-to-live kept her up all night." Theo smirked.

"Why?" Pansy demanded

"She wasn't tired?" Harry offered.

"Well she had a sleeping draught that should have seen to that." Pansy pointed out.

"She didn't take it."

"Obviously."

oOoOoOo

Daphne was released from the hospital wing that night in time for the evening meal but unable to bring herself to show her scarred face to the rest of the school she took up Hermione's offer to go to their quarters and eat privately where Theo and Harry cooked and Hermione continued to play medinurse to the blonde.

Once Hermione had checked Daphne over and went through the list of potions and salves that would help her on her way to healing the girls decided to move to the breakfast bench to watch the boys, intent on making sure they didn't burn the place down.

"What are we having then?" Hermione asked as she eyed the two Wizards tossing dough into the air to see who could get it the highest.

"Pizza" Harry replied as he looked at her in a 'what else would we be making' sort of way.

"You know how to cook?" Daphne asked, more than a little bit surprised.

"Didn't really get a choice when you grow up with the Dursley's" Harry answered as he tried to make the depressing thought seem lighthearted.

Daphne didn't miss how Harry's smile faltered just a little at the thought of his childhood or his life in the muggle world and instantly felt a pang of sadness for him knowing the life he had been forced to live as a wizard and only being able to guess at what kind of life he was trapped in as a child. "What about you Theo? Didn't know you could cook." She said as she turned to her friend.

"I spent most of the summer locked in the manor by myself. I got bored and asked the elves to teach me. They didn't like it, apparently it was their job. Either way it was probably best that I did." He said as he looked towards Hermione and grinned.

"Oh shut up and get us some drinks." Hermione said with an air of sophistication as she tried to be grown up about her inability to cook.

"What am I missing?" Daphne asked as she looked between the two.

"Mione isn't very good when it comes to cooking" Harry replied as he passed her a butterbeer.

"That's an understatement" Theo chuckled before taking a sip of his own drink "she's absolutely useless in the kitchen. Brilliant at Potions, she could out brew anyone in this school and yet she can't even make spaghetti."

"Hey! I cooked you dragon steak last week" She defended.

"And I thought you got another dragon to actually chargrill it. It was so tough I wouldn't have fed it to one of Hagrid's pets." He told her.

"Your plate was empty" she said narrowing her eyes.

"I banished it"

Hermione's eyes went wide at the revelation. "You didn't!"

"Guilty" he said as he smirked at her.

"You're insufferable you know that?"

Theo winked at her dramatically "You love it" he said before turning back to the dough.

"Yes, well, you can sleep alone tonight for that" she said as she crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair whilst glaring at him.

"We'll see" he answered before Harry interrupted.

"Oi! Do you mind? Other people in the room and that's my best friend!" He said pointing to Hermione.

"And Daphne's one of my best friends. She's practically family." Theo countered.

Harry looked at the other man confused "what do you mean?" he asked.

"At least Hermione was asleep last night" he pointed out with a goofy grin.

"Most of the night" Hermione interrupted.

"Shh. That's not important!" Theo said as he tried to hush her up.

"Oh it's not? I rather thought when wordy Theodore Nott was reduced to saying 'wow' it was a pivotal moment in my life. Definitely important, I'm sure I'll remember it forever" she shrugged as she swallowed the last of her drink down. "Wouldn't you agree Daph?"

"Wow, Theo? Really?" She asked teasingly.

"You weren't there you wouldn't understand" he defended.

Daphne turned her bright blue eyes to Harry and smiled her brilliant devious smile before saying "oh I think I understand perfectly well" without taking her eyes off Harry's.

oOoOoOo

After the meal in the great hall had finished Ginny and pansy made their way to the heads' quarters to meet up with their classmates where they all worked on their Defence Against the Dark Arts assignment that Professor Lupin had set. Ginny, being the only one not needing to do the work since she had attended the class, occupied herself by drinking through the butterbeer stash and keeping a full drink in front of everyone else.

"How are there still so any butterbeers left?" She finally asked. The question had been plaguing her for the past hour, every time she picked a drink another bottle would automatically reappear in its place. It was confusing her and not because of the alcohol since there was so little in butterbeer to begin with.

"It's linked to Nott Manor. The elves keep everything stocked at home and so it just stays fully stocked. Same with the food." Theo answered without looking up.

"Hmmm...interesting" she mused before moving over to the stack of Firewhiskey bottles.

"Don't even think about it Red" he warned.

"Spoilsport." She shot back before slumping back down in the couch and helping Pansy with her work.

Once the group had finally finished their work and with curfew already up Harry, Daphne, Ginny and Pansy gathered their things ready to return to their own dorms, something Harry had been putting off as he tried desperately to avoid Ron and Daphne had been putting off in order to avoid, well, everyone.

"I'll walk you back" Theo told the Slytherin girls as they said their goodbyes.

Pansy rolled her eyes at his protectiveness "We'll be fine" she insisted.

"Look at Daphne's face and say that to me again" he all but growled back, giving the witch no room for debate.

"It's alright I'll walk them to the dungeons. Makes more sense anyway." Harry said as stood at the door.

"Right to the door?" Theo clarified.

"I'll even wait until it closes behind them" Harry agreed.

Theo looked at him skeptically before asking "You know how to get back?"

"I've been inside your common room before you know, I found my way there and back easily enough that time and I'm pretty sure I can manage it again tonight." He said as he smiled at the thought of the Slytherin's finding out what and how exactly that had happened.

Theo looked at the messy haired bespectacled man in front of him and wanted to know the extent of the information he had just received but realising the time knew it would have to wait. "Okay. Just...is there any way of letting us know you're all back alright?" he asked as he looked at Daphne and sighed.

"Erm..."

"We'll send a patronus when we leave the dungeons and another when we get in the tower." Ginny suggested.

"In the common room" Hermione corrected.

"Good now that dad here has figured out a plan on keeping tabs on us all can we go now? I really want to get my pyjamas on" Pansy moaned.

"Stay safe" Hermione called as the foursome eventually closed the door behind them.

Theo walked over to the couch once they were gone and sat down "Well today was-" he started as he tried to find the right word to sum up the events.

"Tiring? Emotional? Hard? Embarrassing?" Hermione asked as she sat next to him.

"All of the above" he sighed as he pulled her into his chest. "You alright, Love?" He was finally able to ask. A question that had been plaguing him the entire day.

Hermione sniffed against his chest before answering. "No. But I will be. You help" she said as she pressed herself closer to him.

"I hope so" he replied as he ran his fingers through her hair.

The couple sat there in silence as they each thought about the day's events, thought about Ron's outburst, about Daphne's attack, about Draco's mood and Luna's willingness to be around the sullen blonde. They thought about the reactions they had received from everyone when the nature of their relationship had been revealed. Considering many had assumed it was inevitable it seemed they still had things to say on the matter. Most notably those things were 'Death Eater's Whore' a slur that was now all too familiar to the pair of them even though it had only been two days since they first heard it.

As expected Ron hadn't kept quiet about what he had walked in on that morning, not that he had actually walked in on anything really but that's not how he spun the tale when anyone would listen. He had sat at breakfast and told the rest of the Gryffindor's about his traitor friends and sister and their disgusting alliances with the snakes. With Lavender hanging onto his every word, the blonde, who had long since hated Hermione, made sure the tale was spread to anyone and everyone she came into contact with. This meaning that even the staff were privy to Hermione's and Theo's apparent bedroom activities by lunchtime and earning them both a visit from the headmistress herself.

Having a witch as powerful and brilliant as the no-nonsense Professor McGonagall talk to them about proprieties and the different contraceptives available before not so subtly mentioning how good and enjoyable sex could be had to be the single most embarrassing moment of their school careers so far which, at this point, was saying something. Hermione would have preferred to relive the incident with Ron ten times over and just thanked Merlin and Circe that Professor Snape wouldn't be able to lecture them unless they happened across his portrait in the headmistresses office and she had absolutely no intention of another meeting with their headmistress any time soon. Theo decided that Professor McGonagall was definitely a lot more Slytherin than she led people to believe.

Of course their friends had tried to ask what the professor had wanted with them but, unable to actually wrap their tongues around the words 'McGonagall' and 'sex talk' in the same conversation let alone the same sentence the pair hadn't been able to come up with anything other than a feeble lie about heads' duties. None of them believed them of course and they all knew it but Theo and Hermione kept their mouths firmly sealed to save themselves further embarrassment.

They hadn't moved from their positions on the couch with Hermione close to falling asleep on Theo when ten minutes later a patronus in the form of a stag appeared in front of them and Harry's voice filled the air as "they're safe. No need to worry" rang out melodiously. The pair didn't let themselves relax though until Ginny's patronus followed it a few minutes later to alert them that they were also back in their common room though they did silently worry about what Ron might have planned for them.

It was now after eleven and with Hermione practically asleep in his arms Theo figured it was best to get the witch in bed, hoping the next day was better and looking forward to the weekend more than ever.

"Come on love, you need to get to bed" he said as shifted to help her sit up.

"I want to stay here" she said as she pulled herself up and yawned softly. "You're comfy"

"I'm going to ignore that completely and take it as a compliment" Theo joked as he looked over his toned body in faux shock.

"Oh shut up, idiot" Hermione said as she woke up a bit more.

"Sexy idiot. Not comfy" he corrected as he pulled her to her feet, walked her to her room and kissed her goodnight before going to his own room just across the hallway.

It was less than thirty seconds later when the pair were shouting each other's names in confusion.

"Theo!"

"Hermione!"

Theo left his own room never more confused and walked towards Hermione's to see what problem she was faced with, hoping it was nothing like his own.

When he had walked into his room the first thing he had noticed was the complete lack of bed in any corner of the room and instead a coffee table where it had previously been. His trunk, bedside table and wardrobes were all also suspiciously missing and instead in their place were a couple of arm chairs and books. A lot of books. More than he owned.

As he entered Hermione's room however the mystery was solved. Somebody had combined their things into one room, well, most of their things since they apparently now had their own private library too.

"Shit" Theo muttered as he stood at the threshold of the door "I see you found my things. Any chance there's a spare bed in here somewhere?" He joked as he eyed their wardrobes next to each other, his table at the side of the bed he had slept the night before and his trunk next to Hermione's.

"A bed? Your bed has gone?" She asked as she held her hands out in an effort to say 'look at the room'

"Everything has gone. Except books. Books I have plenty of now, apparently. However I do have a lovely chair or two if I wanted to read and a nice coffee table right where my bed used to be. The rest of my possessions are apparently in here." He said as he looked towards his trunk that was suspiciously right next to her own.

"I think someone has been rearranging our things" Hermione mused as she followed his gaze.

Theo laughed lightly before moving to his wardrobe and retrieving some pyjama bottoms. "You think?" He said before getting changed.

"Who do you think it was?" She asked as she followed his lead and went to brush her teeth before getting into bed.

It was a few minutes before Theo answered her question, slipping under the golden covers that he had realised the night before were silk, not satin, he waved his wand to turn out all the lanterns before laying back on his - yes his, from his bed - pillow "I have no idea. There's too many possibilities but I'd put the elves at the top of the list" he said as he turned to her.

"I'm sure I said you were sleeping alone tonight" Hermione said as she remembered their earlier conversation.

"You did. I also said we would see. I was right" he laughed as he kissed her again.

Hermione pretended to be annoyed at him for winning before a sudden realisation hit her "Godric, I live with a boy" she whispered.

"Kitten, you've 'lived with a boy' for nearly three weeks" he said playfully as he tried not to laugh at her train of thought.

"That was different. I didn't have to share a room with you!"

"Don't worry about it we'll just rearrange it all back tomorrow" he answered as though he had already planned to do so anyway.

"No" Hermione replied without thinking.

Theo turned to her closer, able to only see the outlines of her face through the moonlight offered from the window "No?" He asked hopefully, knowing it was far too early in their relationship for such a thing but also knowing that any attempt they made to sleep separately was futile at this point. They were already in far deeper than they would admit.

"No. You can stay." She finally answered wearily. "Besides, whoever did this would likely only do it again anyway" she huffed.

"Do you want me to stay? Because if you don't-"

"I-I would like you to stay. Indefinitely" Hermione answered as she bit her lip and twirled one of her unruly curls between her fingers, a very obvious sign she was nervous.

Theo pulled his hand up to her lip and freed it from her teeth with his thumb before running it across the swollen flesh. "Good, because I rather like waking up with you in my arms" he said right before he took the swollen lip between his own and kissed her soundly.


	9. Chapter 9

As the weekend neared and the days passed, the atmosphere in the school didn't change. Daphne had clearly spent most of the Wednesday night researching charms that would best cover her scar rather than sleeping, Harry and Ginny had gotten into heated debates with Ron and a few of their other supposed house mates and Draco had found himself sat outside, staring into the blackness of the lake under the light of the moon when Luna approached him from behind.

"I wonder if he's alright?" She asked as she took a seat on the damp grass next to him.

Draco turned only slightly as she spoke, she hadn't made a sound on her way down and while he hadn't expected or heard her come up to him he wasn't shocked that she had. In fact he felt a small flicker of light just being in her presence. "Sorry?" He asked confused.

"Sammy" she said. When Draco looked even more confused she pointed to the lake in front of them and said "the squid" by way of explanation.

"The squid is named Sammy?" He asked with a raised brow.

"Well officially I'm not sure he even has a name. He seemed to like Sammy though. I've not seen him in a while and I've been worried that maybe with what hap-"

"He's fine. I saw him last night" Draco said cutting her off purposely. He really didn't need to hear the end of that sentence, he was already living it they all were.

"Really?" She asked as her tone grew higher. "Oh that's so wonderful. I've been trying to get down and see him but there's been so much going on. So many animals to keep track off. We lost a few Thestrals and Unicorns and I was helping Hagrid with making them some headstones. It took longer than I was expecting."

Draco moved his hand closer to Luna's when he heard the sadness in her voice. He wanted to take it away from her. He wanted to never hear it again and only see her smile. Her big, beautiful, earth shattering smile that he had unconsciously fallen for when she was his family's prisoner. He wanted to make her smile.

He stroked his thumb gently over her knuckles and whispered "I'm sorry" before turning to look back at the lake.

"Me too" Luna replied, her thumb moving to stroke over his.

The pair sat for another hour in complete silence, staring at nothing but the vast expanse of black nothingness while their thumbs did all the talking and when Sammy the squid eventually showed up close to two in the morning, Luna pulled out some fresh fish from her bag and fed him before the pair of blondes walked back to the castle to retire for the night before classes the next morning.

...

Breakfast that Thursday morning had been a tense affair, it was Daphne's first public appearance since her attack though other than a slight tremor of nerves the girl didn't look any different than normal, the makeup concealing charms Hermione had told her about clearly working. Harry joined the Slytherin's for breakfast again, walking right past Ron without so much as even meeting his eyes as the redhead glared and muttered in his direction while sitting next to Seamus and Dean. As he took a seat, next to Theo like he had the day before, he looked over at Daphne who was facing him and after carefully considering the charms and the effort and hard word she had gone through for them said "You look better without it" as he poured them each a glass of pumpkin juice and coffee.

At Ginny and Pansy's disbelief he turned to look at her again and corrected himself "No Daph, you look good you really do and if I didn't know it was there, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't know it was there. You just...you're prettier without it that's all" he mumbled sheepishly.

"I have a scar" she tried to argue.

"Yeah. So do I. So does Hermione. So does Nott and Malfoy. Pretty sure we all have scars these days. Physical, mental, emotional. Doesn't change who we are." He answered honestly as he rubbed at his own lightening bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

"I suppose we do" she said with a small hint of a smile before reaching out and touching his free hand.

The group walked to their classes together and though people dared not called Hermione a death eaters whore when Harry was around - for fear that the-boy-killed-Voldemort was good with a wand was still pretty rife - they still managed to work their way around that since Hermione was taking mostly advanced classes. Luckily, or maybe not so luckily, she wasn't entirely sure, Theo and Draco were both in most if not all of her classes with her so she didn't have to go through it alone. Unluckily, while her boyfriend ignored the insults and carried on his day as if nothing happened Hermione knew him well enough to know that he was keeping note of who said what.

Friday passed in much the same fashion, the only decent thing to come of the insults was that the younger Slytherin students were no longer being picked on. Harry insisted on walking Daphne to classes much to nobodies surprise while Ginny and Pansy grew closer and the group as a whole stuck together. Ron however seemed to be angrier anytime they saw him.

Just as before when they were merely head boy and head girl who happened to share living quarters, a group of students would await outside their rooms every morning and night though it was no longer in concern and instead with pure intent to hurl abuse at the couple.

It was Friday evening by the time Hermione and Theo got back to their quarters. It had been a long, hard day and Hermione had spent a couple of hours in the library while Theo reattempted Quidditch practice before the pair met up again for dinner. Walking back to their quarters they were followed by no less than twenty students all who were hurling insults at the pair when Hermione, ever the Gryffindor, decided to give their spectators a little show. As they reached their door she pushed Theo into the wall and kissed him like she had absolutely no control, leaving little room for imagination. Theo was shocked at her brazen public display at first and stood frozen for a few seconds until his head caught up on her plan and he kissed her back with as much vigour and desire as she did him. Hermione moaned and Theo groaned and at first the students around then shouted out in disgust but at some point the pair were too far in to hear them anymore and when they finally resurfaced, gasping for air and clinging to one another to steady themselves, the noticed they were finally alone for the first time that day since leaving for breakfast.

"Well that worked better than I thought it would" The said with a grin

"And we didn't have to take any house points away either" Hermione grinned back.

"I don't know" he mused.

"What's that?"

"I'm trying to decide if I should take away points from Gryffindor or award them" he answered smugly as he leant against the wall still catching his breath.

"Is that so?" She asked with a devilish smirk.

"Well you did just engage in a rather inappropriate public display of affection that caused a bit of a reaction" Theo mused as he shifted himself in his trousers to drive the point home and eyed her teasingly.

"But...?" Hermione breathed

"But" he agreed as he brought a hand to her face and twirled a start curl around his finger before watching it bounce back up "but you also managed to successfully get rid of the twenty or so idiots that were following us. So I'm left in a bit of a conundrum here."

"Well, it's not like you seemed to be objecting to the plan in any way. Mr Nott" she breathed heavily as she took a step closer, keeping him pinned to the wall "In fact" her fingers now gently trailing up the outside of his thigh. "I rather think" her voice now barely a whisper as her fingers grew closer and closer to his now very very uncomfortable iron hard erection "you quite liked it" she said at last, pulling her fingers away just before they reached where he wanted, needed her to touch him the most. Hermione smiled her most angelic smile, looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes and asked "So, what will it be?"

"Ten points" Theo managed to choke out.

"Ten? Is that all?"

"Fine. Twenty"

"For...?" She asked, knowing exactly what he meant but wanting him to spell it out.

"Getting rid of those bloody pests" he muttered through hooded eyes as he tried to breath in and out slowly to regain his control.

Hermione smiled before letting down the wards and giving the portrait their password and stepping inside their sanctuary for the rest of the night.

Theo stole himself a few precious seconds before he followed Hermione inside and the two used the remainder of the night to get through their homework and do their heads rounds under Theo's orders since he had gotten the Ravenclaw prefects to take over for the rest of weekend so they could celebrate Hermione's birthday properly.


	10. Chapter 10

That night Theo charmed Hermione's alarm clock not to go off as it normally would and, with a few firewhiskeys in her, he had hoped Hermione would sleep in so he would have an extra few hours to get in plan into motion.

At eight that Saturday morning he quietly rolled out of bed, showered and dressed before leaving the safety of their quarters and walking to the owlery where he attatched several envelopes to his own, Hermione's, and Draco's owls then headed back to his kitchen to make Hermione breakfast in bed.

How the smell of food didn't wake her he had no idea, the woman had barely drank the night before and he already knew she was a dab hand at drinking wizards under the table at this point, she had spent many a night under the influence of one Sirius Black and that alone was cause enough for anyone to know better than to challenge her to any drinking games.

Theo set about making Hermione's favourite breakfast foods, eggs benedict and pancakes. Chocolate pancakes. He whisked and fried, poached and toasted and added two large glasses of pumpkin juice and a pot of coffee alongside a sober up and pepper up potion before adding two of each meal to the tray and levitating it carefully into their bedroom.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." He chuckled as he walked in and saw her sprawled out in the middle of the bed, somehow lay on both sides and using all of the pillows for her crazy hair.

"No." She groaned as she buried her face under the pillows.

"I brought coffee." He said as a peace offering

"Like you would wake a sleeping witch without coffee." Hermione bit back.

"Not that hungover then." He laughed before settling the tray down on the end of the bed and pouring her a mug of the steamy black liquid that she often called her lifeline.

"I don't get hungover. Just...tired. What time is it anyway?" She asked as she removed the pillows to allow herself to breathe and accepted the mug.

"After nine."

"After nine? I slept in until after nine?" Hermione asked in shock, she never slept in this late. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I did."

"Why didn't you wake me _earlier."_ Hermione corrected as she debated throwing a pillow at his head and only stopped herself when she realised she would likely spill some of the precious life sustaining liquid.

"It's your birthday, I wasn't going to wake you up early on your birthday." Theo explained as he moved her plates in front of her.

Hermione groaned at the realisation of the date and took a large mouthful of the coffee before tucking in to the delicious meal set out by him.

"So where's my amazing present then?" She eventually asked.

"It's a surprise, you can have it later." Theo answered with a wink.

The pair enjoyed a lazy morning lay in bed eating before they banished the leftovers and trays to the kitchen and took up the remainder of the morning engaged in some rather steamy kisses and compromising positions before Theo dragged Hermione to the bathroom and forced her to get into a candle-lit bath full of oils and salts. Complete with a glass of red wine from the stash that was connected to Nott Manor and allowed her a book to read under the conditions that it was only fiction.

While Hermione was soaking for the next two hours Theo spent his time rearranging the kitchen and living area and using any and all extension spells in his arsenal to extend the living room to accommodate all of their friends for later on that night. When he was done, extra chairs transfigured and coffee table sprouting up from seemingly nowhere, he stepped back to admire his handiwork; happy with what he had been able to come up with before he cleaned up the dishes from earlier and waited for Hermione to reemerge.

oOoOoOo

When Hermione was fully rested and washed Theo instructed her to wear a pair of form fitting jeans that hugged her every curve to which she obliged but only if she got to chose her own top. He conceded and figured she would go ahead and pick out a jumper, exactly as he would have done since the October air was well on it's way in. He was surprised though when Hermione bypassed her own wardrobe for his and pulled out one of his shirts before pulling it over her head and dragging her hair to the side in a rushed braid that wasn't much tidier than her usual hair do'.

By the time Theo managed to get Hermione out of their quarters it was already 5pm and not long before the evening meal would be served in the great hall. He led them both outside and around the black lake, through the bushes and shrubberies of the school grounds and past a particularly haunting spot near the edge of the forest that she would rather hope to never see again. Right through the greenhouses and to the quidditch pitch.

"Why are we here Theo? No one is playing today." Hermione said as she stared around the empty grounds confused.

"No, I just wanted to go for a walk and the first place I thought of was here." He replied nervously.

"Why's that? I hate quidditch." Hermione said with a laugh.

"I know you do but this place has some really great memories for me and I wanted to bring you here." Theo smiled lightly as he lead them towards the nearest stands; Hufflepuff.

"And what are they? Slytherin winning? Harry losing the snitch? Ron taking a bludger to the face?" Hermione asked lightly as the images flashed through her mind.

"Hardly, though while they are quite amusing memories they hardly count as great."

"What then?"

"You."

"Me? I don't play quidditch." Hermione said as her brows crossed in confusion and her skin began to prickle with the cold.

"Do you remember second year? When Draco started the team?" Theo asked tentatively.

"How could I forget?" Hermione muttered with a roll of her eyes. "Lucius bought the whole team new brooms just to get him on the team."

"Do you remember what happened to my broom on that first match?"

Hermione's face reddened. If she was truly honest with herself she did remember but she hadn't thought he had. Theo had been 150ft up in the air when his brand new broom, curtsey of the Malfoy patriarch, went berserk. It was a Gryffindor vs Slytherin match and she had paled instantly, knowing something was seriously wrong. The thought that he might fall off and what could happen if he did was the only thing that ran through her mind as she chanted a protection spell and concentrated on him while the rest of the spectators, the teams and professors alike, all failed to see the danger that was Theo's broom. "I..." Hermione started, her voice going dry,

"You didn't think I knew? I saw you. I know it was you who saved me." He said as he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her bare arms.

"For all you knew I could have been the one who was cursing you." Hermione countered quietly as she stared at the empty field in front of them.

"I never believed that. Not even for a second. Not even when I was falling off and thought I was going too die and I saw you in the crowd chanting away. You wouldn't curse me Hermione, house loyalties aside. And I knew that even then. I've always known it."

"You're too trusting." Hermione said as he laced their fingers together.

"Am I?" He asked with a quirked brow "Tell me, how often did you repeat that protection spell over the years?"

Hermione turned slightly deeper shade of pink at the implication because, while she had cast the protective enchantments on Theo that day she knew full well she had done it for every game after that and apparently, so did he. "How did you know?" She asked finally.

"I should have really hurt myself one day but I never did. Thought I was lucky. Then it happened a few more times so I got suspiciuous and started looking around and sure enough, every game you were sat there chanting away." He smirked. "So I started to try and hurt myself on purpose. Never could though, obviously."

"Mmmhmm" Hermione said, unable to trust her voice much more than that.

"Thank you." Theo whispered.

"What for?" Hermione asked taken aback.

"Believing in me. Standing by me no matter what. You're the only person in my entire life, except maybe Draco, who has never doubted me. Never gave up. That means...it mean more than you know." Theo said as he brought her knuckles up to his mouth and kissed them lightly.

"I think I know." Hermione replied before the pair walked back to the castle.


	11. Chapter 11

The walk back to the castle and their quarters was much slower and colder. Hermione wrapped Theo's jacket around her tightly as they trudged through the muddied grounds.

They were briefly stopped by a beaming Hagrid who presented Hermione with some of his famous rock cakes and treacle before the half giant walked off in the direction of the forbidden forest and Hermione was able to banish the 'treats' with him out of earshot. She loved Hagrid, she really did but there was no way she was eating his food. Again.

As the pair entered the castle doors at what Hermione deemed exactly the wrong time since the evening meal had just ended and students were filing out into the halls. Hermione stuck closer to Theo's side and they managed to get to their quarters without too much hassle. Of course, Liam McLaggen and his band of merry-wizards still tried come between them and though the slur 'death eaters whore' was still on many a lips yesterdays brief encounter was also still fresh in their minds and nobody wanted a repeat of that performance. They were able to make their way back relatively quickly and without too many followers, a vast improvement from the day before - though it was the weekend so who knew what would happen come Monday.

As they got to the doors and Hermione moved to take her wand out of her holster Theo stepped in front of the door and stopped her.

Hermione eyed him curiously not missing the sheepish smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. "What did you do?"

"It's your birthday." He said by way of explanation.

"What did you do?" She half demanded and half asked as her eyes narrowed.

"Your birthday" Theo repeated.

Hermione sighed dramatically "Fine, do your worst."

Theo finally let the smile cross his face as he let the wards down himself, picked up her hand and pushed her through the door way to a round of "SURPRISE" from their friends.

"You're the worst boyfriend I've ever had." Hermione said after the noise had dropped a few octaves and she had been able to thank her friends for coming. "Do you see what I'm wearing?" She asked incredulously.

"What's wrong with what you're wearing?"

"It's hardly party wear is it?" She said with a roll of her eyes before giving Luna a hug.

She would have excused herself and changed could she be bothered but in all honesty she was far too comfortable. She didn't care that her hair was a mess or that she was wearing one of Theo's shirts underneath his jacket. At least her jeans made up for that. She didn't care that she didn't have a scrap of make up on or dancing shoes. In fact, she had taken her boots off the second she had been allowed and as she hugged Luna she was happy to see she wasn't the only witch sans shoes that night.

Hermione made her way through their friends, she thanked Hannah and Ernie for coming, hugged Dean and Seamus since she hadn't had a chance to really see them properly. Talked to Luna and Padma, pretended to be interested in gossip with Pansy and Ginny. Kissed Neville on the cheek and said Hi to Justin and Susan. She introduced Theo to near enough everyone and they all made polite small talk with her boyfriend and although her friends were there and the houses were uniting Hermione found herself drawn to the same group of people she spent most of her time with.

Later on she found herself curled up on the couch with Harry as music blasted from the wizarding wireless and girls danced. Or rather, Ginny and Pansy danced while trying to drag everyone else up. Daphne was still much more sombre than she normally would be though it wasn't anything unexpected. She never left Harry's side.

"Hey beautiful" Theo said as he sat in the empty seat next to Hermione and urged Harry to take Daphne for a drink.

"Hey yourself" Hermione replied as she pulled her feet up and placed them in his lap.

Theo wasted no time in putting down his drink and massaging her tendons. "Am I still the worst boyfriend you've ever had?" He asked after she moaned far too loudly considering the audience around them.

"Keep going and I'll let you know" Hermione answered as her eyes rolled to the back of her head as he hit a particular tender spot.

oOoOoOo

After much firewhiskey and elf wine had been consumed and the food provided by the elves had been well and truly demolished Theo managed to get rid of their friends around midnight. Without explaining why he forced them all to go back to their common rooms in groups which ended up causing a stir when Draco insisted he would walk Luna back despite Padma being there to do so and Harry insisting on walking Daphne back despite, well, most of the Slytherin's of their year being in attendance.

Theo and Hermione took one agonising look at their quarters before they both waved their wands and banished the plates and glasses to the kitchen, intent on dealing with the issue the next morning before Hermione grabbed Theo's hand and pulled him towards their bedroom.

With the bedroom door closed behind them Hermione finally let out a sigh of relief, as much as she had actually enjoyed the night and her party and really, it was great getting the other seventh years to mingle with the Slytherin's, she was thoroughly exhausted and part of her just wanted to curl up in a ball and forget everything.

Every year since she had attended Hogwarts she has received an owl from her parents at breakfast on her birthday. She would open her mail to bunch of cards from relatives she barely knew an the one from her parents. There would be a letter attached to that would explain how much they missed her despite her only being gone for a little over two weeks and she would laugh and cry at the small anecdotes her parents both offered. Accompanied would always be two parcels, one would be a parcel of sugar-free muggle treats. Her parents were dentists through and through. The second parcel was always a surprise and would contain money - not that she ever needed it since they would send her away with more than enough anyway - last year she had received a rather expensive dress that her mother demanded would be perfect for her. She had never gotten to wear since she had spent so long on the run but it really was beautiful. She had also been sent a bottle of expensive muggle champagne that lay in her trunk unopened. She had turned eighteen after all, the age muggle's would officially become an adult in muggle England. Of course last years parcel had been redirected to The Burrow and Hermione didn't even receive the letters and gifts until after the war had ended. Until after her parents had died. The dress and champagne had both sat in her trunk gathering dust ever since and the worst thing about it all was she had just never had a chance to use up either gift.

Hermione slowly walked over to her trunk, leaving Theo where he was standing and pulled it open, taking out the champagne bottle. Well, now was as good a time as any. She thought to herself as she blew away the dust and wiped at the label. She had placed a series of protective enchantments around the bottle since it was so important to her. Not only was her her last birthday girl from her parents, and a breakable one at that, but it was also corked the year she was born. Her father had bought it especially and her parents had kept it for her eighteenth birthday all that time. It was precious and it was one of the last things she had left of them.

"What have you got there, love?" Theo asked from his position near the door.

Hermione stood and walked over to the bed where he met her and they both sat, her staring at the dusty old bottle and him at her.

"Birthday present." She muttered.

Theo looked closely at the label on the bottle and let out a low whistle. He might be a pureblood but he knew his alcohol, wizarding and muggle. As he read the label of the French 1979 Piper-Heidsieck Millesime Brut, he realised instantly what he was looking at. "Are you sure now is the best time for this? Maybe you should save it." He suggested tentatively.

"It was meant for my eighteenth." Hermione answered sadly.

"Ah" He replied as the realisation hit him. "Well, how about we put this back for now and we open the present I got you?" Theo smiled.

"You brought me breakfast in bed and threw me a party, even said some sappy words out on the quidditch pitch." She said as she brightened a little.

"I did." Theo agreed. "But what kind of boyfriend would I be if I never got you a present?" He joked as he moved around the bed and pulled out a carefully wrapped box.

"A terrible one." Hermione sniffled as she tried to joke and put the champagne aside.

"Something you have already deemed me." Theo joked back.

"Hey! I said you were the worst boyfriend I have ever had, not the most terrible!" Hermione defended.

Theo walked back to the end of the bed and handed her the gift. "There's a difference?"

"Of course." She said with a smile before looking at the box in her lap.


	12. Chapter 12

"You know, you're supposed to actually open that." Theo joked as he nervously awaited her reaction.

Hermione sat and stared at the neatly wrapped gift in her lap. Of course Theo knew how to tie a bow (or, at least charm a bow!) and match colours so perfectly that it would make it look like she was opening a gift that was supposed to be under some elaborate Christmas tree display. It was almost painful just to tug on the bow. Almost!

With a mild sense of apprehension she lightly pulled on the ribbon and watched his handiwork coming undone.

She had already opened the gifts off of her friends. Ginny had given her a card with instructions on where to go and when. Pansy had told her she would be measured and that was all there was to it until the pair of witches fell about laughing. When they were suitably drunk on the offered firewhiskey Hermione had managed to get enough out of them that she was being sent to a high end lingerie store in Paris for custom made, one of a kind, all expenses paid for, barely there knickers. She hadn't known whether she should be horrified or not that they had gone to so much trouble for her. They had also included a port-key for Merlin's sake! She chose to be thankful in the end. Thankful that Theo was on the other side of the room talking to Harry and hadn't heard the conversation that is!

Molly and Arthur Weasley, bless them, had sent her a tin of freshly baked cookies, home made pumpkin pasties and a pair of knitted socks. Well, she did suppose it was getting colder but she really could have done without adding more Gryffindor red and gold to her wardrobe, especially since she knew that she would be getting a matching jumper in just a few months time.

George, in all his grief, had somehow remembered her birthday and, much to her surprise had sent a lovely wrapped package of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She was most grateful for this considering the obvious, though the present idea was certainly lacking. She took it to be a joke and, in true Gryffindor style had decided to use every one of his products against him at some point in the future. That is if Theo didn't manage to get his hands on them and use them on his friends first. She noticed how his eyes had lit up at the thought. Slytherin's hadn't managed to get a whole lot of use out of the Weasley products yet. They were always so serious, always shying away from fun and anything that remotely connected to a Weasley and besides, it's not like they could have done much with a Ton Tongue Toffee on those last days when the Carrow's reigned the halls but Instant Peruvian Darkness Powder could have come in use somehow. Hermione had sat there staring at the box of powder and imagined how, in a really sneaky move, the death eaters or even the order for that matter, could have used the product to their advantage. She realised that Fred and George were a lot smarter than they had ever let on.

Daphne had remembered their conversation in the hospital wing and miraculously found the book she had mentioned. Hermione unwrapped the old and battered book named 'Bonds and how to navigate them.' and with a quick flick through the pages she was already mesmerised with this rare form of magic she didn't even know had existed the month before. When she looked up at Theo she noticed he wasn't at all shocked, he had been sat on the arm of the chair next to her and was looking through the pages just as intently as she was. That was when she realised he knew about the bond too. Or at least, knew _of_ the bond since he was so interested in the book. She thanked Daphne profusely and insisted she would start reading the second she got a chance.

Harry had bought her her favourite muggle perfume which she gave a delighted squeal at before throwing herself at him. Apparently he had known she had recently run out and, with them back in Hogwarts and with nobody outside the castle in muggle London there was nobody who could send her any more and it wasn't like she could just order it without too much hassle. She'd since been using a perfume she had found in Diagon Alley but it's scent changed depending on who was smelling it - if she was lucky! If she wasn't so lucky the perfume would make men act like Veela for thirty seconds if they got close enough or, turn her skin a lovely range of colours that she had little wish to be. No, Muggle perfume was certainly the best in her opinion.

Draco and Luna's present's had been the biggest surprise of the night. Even bigger than the surprise party. Draco had been rather apprehensive but with Luna's insistence and a smile from the doe eyed witch sent his way he passed Hermione his gift from the pile. Or, rather, their _gifts_. As Hermione opened, not at all sure what to expect since Luna could be so ridiculous in her gift giving sometimes (she had once received onions disguised as earrings and had had to feign an allergy so as not to upset her friend) her hand shook a little. When the blue wrapping paper was on the floor Hermione was shocked to see a picture of herself and Theo staring back at her and, without preamble, she burst into tears and pulled Draco in for a hug. The picture had been taken on their first day. There they sat, on the Hogwarts Express for the first time in their lives, sat together in their compartment and pouring over one of Theo's books. Hermione was smiling and pointing out bits and pieces here and there while Theo just watched her. It was innocent and pure. And oh so beautiful and Hermione couldn't control the tears.

"My mum, you probably don't remember but she was insistent on taking pictures of all of us before we left." Draco said as he pointed in a triangle between him, Theo and Blaise, they had grown up together after all.

"I had forgotten." Hermione whispered softly through the tears as Theo passed her a handkerchief and Draco extracted himself from her awkward affection.

The frame was so Luna. It was handmade and messy and had glitter on it along with shells. Shells. "From Shell Cottage" She said with a smile and Hermione had no more need for an explanation. The second present was an amber necklace and she let Theo put it on her immediately as she sniffled and tried to wipe away the stray tears from her eyes. She could have done with Amber a few months ago but there was no such thing as too late.

After that the remaining presents were general boxes of chocolates from Honeydukes from Hannah and Justin, a nice bottle of Firewhiskey from Seamus, a quill set from Dean and various other sweets and treats from the rest of her friends. All in all she had been truly spoilt and hadn't even noticed a lack of gift from Theo.

So now she was sat there, almost worried and yet excited at the same time over what lay in the box. She had already cried over one man and thrown herself at another - surely it couldn't get any worse she thought to herself.

She was wrong. Oh so very wrong.

As the ribbon fell away Hermione bit her lip nervously, they hadn't been together for very long and though they had now known each other for going on eight years and he had known her birthday without her telling him, well, they hadn't exactly been very close for most of that time and she could only wonder at what was inside.

When she lifted the lid she was met with white tissue paper, she closed her eyes just briefly before delving her hands inside. What she found shocked her.

Hermione gently pulled out a book and, with a side glance at Theo she could instantly see the tension in his shoulders and the worry lines on his head. That was when she realised it wasn't just an ordinary book. As the book came into view Hermione brushed away the last of the paper before looking at the cover.

There, in intricate golden script were the words 'The Granger Family'. Hermione dumbly asked "What's this?" before Theo encouraged her to open it and look.

So she did. As she turned the page, each one with a new picture and story to match (where possible) Hermione cried silent tears. The first picture was her father as a young boy - no older than seven. It was in black and white and he was playing with the most god-awful looking football Hermione had ever seen. The second was her mother at a similar age, dressed head to toe in embarrassing frills, both pictures had their names and birth dates in-scripted. The third picture was them together, the fourth was their wedding. A pregnant Helen Granger graced the fourth and a newborn Hermione in her mothers arms right after birth was the fifth. Her father and herself in the sixth and a family picture with a screaming newborn in the seventh. After that there were a lot of pictures from Hermione's childhood, her first time walking, first day at nursery, her first day in school. All mingled with pictures of her parents and her together. There was one on holiday in Spain of all three of them, one Hermione had taken herself. One wearing dreadful clothes from the 80's, a lot of naked Hermione wearing her grandfathers flat cap and her grandmothers heels. There were pictures of her dad with an awful 80's moustache and matching mullet while her mother had some really bad perms (and coming from Hermione that was saying something!) There were pictures from every Christmas, every birthday and Easter. Pictures from their holidays. Pictures of her grandparents and the rare ones of her cousin. Near the end there were pictures of her in her Hogwarts uniform.

There were also some wizarding pictures of her and her parents on the platform waiting to leave for school and the odd one in Diagon Alley, all taken by Mrs Weasley, Hermione presumed. There was a picture of Hermione for every year she had left for school, or, at least, the first six years. Theo was even in the background in four of them. The last picture in the book had been taken when she had last seen her parents and had always been framed on her bedside table since. She took a quick look to see if it was still there and noticed it was. Theo had clearly gotten it copied without her even noticing.

The picture was taken just before Bill and Fleur's wedding, right before she had sent her parent's away. The family had all gone out for ice cream at her request and her parents had obliged without even mentioning sugar content before she told them she had to head for The Burrow for a wedding. Her parents had been fine about it and, as she packed what remained of her belongings, Hermione had cried and cried until there were no tears left and after saying her goodbyes she altered her parents' memories before apparating the The Burrow and locking herself in an empty broom cupboard. That picture had been precious to her during their time on the run and later on, when she found out the fate she had sent her them to, it had become the last thing she had of them. The last day she had seen them. The last memory she had involving them. It was the last picture she would ever have with them.

As Hermione sat on the edge of their bed, her face red and puffy from the silent tears, Theo pulled out a handkerchief and passed it her way.

"How did you do all of this?" Hermione asked after blowing her nose and wiping away what tears were left.

Theo scratched the back of his neck nervously as she looked up at him, her eyes bright and glistening from the tears she was trying so hard not to shed. "Harry helped me. And Mrs Weasley was all too happy to provide what pictures she had. Harry told me the stories though." He answered almost sheepishly.

"That's..." Hermione began "That's really...you did all this for me?"

Theo looked taken aback. Why would that surprise her. Didn't she _know?_ "Of course I did love" he replied "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know, it just, it feels like a lot of effort and...and" Hermione sniffled as she looked back at the photo album in her hands.

Theo noticed her hesitation and, knowing what Hermione was about to say he put his finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. "You're worth it" he promised. "More than worth it. I'd give you all the stars in the sky if I could, you know?" He asked, silently begging her to understand.

Hermione nodded as those un-shed tears finally fell down her cheeks.


	13. Chapter 13

Theo had ran her a bath after that and while she was soaking poured them both a steaming mug of hot chocolate so that when she got out of the bath, tears vanished and face looking as it should; they curled up on the bed, the box of chocolates Hannah had bought and chocolate drinks in their hands, they poured over the book of bonds from Daphne. It wasn't long before they were both asleep, Hermione curled up into Theo and neither letting go of the other.

Professor McGonagall called a meeting with her two head students the next morning and, ignoring the awkwardness that was still lingering from their last conversation, informed Hermione and Theo both that there would be a Halloween dance that they were required to throw and attend since they were Head boy and Head girl, another ploy for house unity.

Other than that as Sunday's went this one was quite good, Harry and Daphne turned up at lunch time with a wicker basket complete with sandwiches and, with a bottle of elf wine from their kitchen, Hermione and Theo took up their friends' offer to go for a picnic at the black lake and do their homework together in what was _supposed_ to be a small study group.

Thankfully there was enough food in the basket to feed a small army since most of their friends joined them.

They had been at the black lake studying in a comfortable silence for a couple of hours when Draco and Luna walked past, it was obvious that Draco was trying to avoid his friends seeing the pair together but Luna had other ideas and ran over to hug everyone so he was left with little choice. The pair sat and started to eat on the offered sandwiches when Blaise, Pansy and Ginny appeared from behind a tree slightly tousled but otherwise in high spirits. It rose a few silent brows but when none of the three elaborated and instead delved into the basket everyone else took that as a sign that they were not getting any answers today. The group sat and chatted about the party, Hermione thanked her friends for their gifts again and told Pansy and Ginny there was absolutely no way she was taking them up on theirs until they told her that she had no choice because it was impolite to reject a birthday gift and she wouldn't want to be impolite now would she? She sighed, eyed them up and down and stated that if she had to go and be fondled by some poor Parisian muggle seamstress then they, along with Daphne, were coming along too - as if that was some sort of punishment.

Pansy snorted a laugh and chocked on hysterical sobs until Ginny admitted that the lady was in fact a witch.

"I don't know which is even the better option." Hermione sighed defeatedly.

"The witch."

"Definitely the witch."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the two witches "Why?" She asked, already afraid of the answer.

"This place is rather..um...special" Pansy started.

"It basically means the underwear has rather specific special features...you know how they have a lot of _Veela_ out there." Ginny continued.

"Oh. My. Gods."

Apparently their conversation hadn't been quiet enough to drown out the quidditch talk their male counter parts were deeply involved in since Theo turned and asked; "What special features?" so innocently it was almost adorable but Hermione knew his game too well.

"No. Nope. No freaking way. I draw the line. I don't need that."

"She's right, she really doesn't, I'll fall for her charms regardless." He said with a wink.

Hermione put her head in her hands while her face flushed bright red. She was going to get Ginny and Pansy back for this...oh Merlin was she!

The next morning the Halloween dance was announced at breakfast with the added rule that only those who had a date from another house could attend. House unity indeed.

Hermione and Theo went about their days as normal before returning to their sanctuary once classes were over, once again forgoing the meal offered by the school and ordering their own from the kitchens.

When Pansy and Ginny turned up later on they had given up being shocked and when both girls asked, no, _demanded_ that they be left in charge of the dance Theo and Hermione took one second to look at each other before agreeing - organising a dance was hardly what they had in mind when they had signed up and already they were inundated with homework and their regular duties plus, the added house unity goals attached - frankly they were both relived to pass the task on.

The girls both left willingly after that with not a word from either of them. Theo left not long after to do his scheduled rounds and Hermione settled down with a bottle of elf wine and he book Daphne had given her for her birthday when, out of nowhere she heard a tapping noise. Looking around to room to see if she was imagining it Hermione almost jumped when she heard the sound again, much louder against the window.

Slowly she moved closer, it was already pretty dark outside but she could see a eager raven waiting on the sill with what looked like a letter attatched to it's foot - she opened the window a jar and freed the burden from the birds foot before turning to find it some scraps. She wasn't even sure what ravens ate but the point was moot anyway since when she turned back it was already long gone.

Hermione looked at the letter in her hands, it was curious; to get a letter from a raven, and at night. Even curiouser was that this bird had clearly travelled a few thousand miles since she had instantly recognised the subspecies of the bird. Sinuatus, or the Western Raven as it is so often refereed to; is indigenous to south-central USA and Central America - this bird had flown from at least the US or if not, Mexico, that is, if it was a bird and not an animagus since it didn't seem at all phased by it's long journey.

There were only two words on the front of the letter written in clear cursive, 'My Son' it read.

"Oh shit" Hermione whispered as she dropped the letter to the nearest surface.

How in Merlin's name had Rowley Nott managed to get a letter to his son? Hermione knew it was forbidden and more so, why was it coming through from America when he was safely tucked away in Azkaban? No no no. This wasn't right. It wasn't right _at all_.

When Theo returned later on that night Hermione had successfully managed to drink the full bottle of elf wine to herself and yet still somehow looked like she'd seen a ghost. It wasn't exactly hard for him to notice that something was wrong.

"Hermione? What's up love?" Theo asked as he sat on the couch beside her.

Hermione shook her head, walked over to the breakfast bench the letter was sat on and dropped it into Theo's lap; "America's Calling" she managed to say.

Theo had absolutely no idea what she meant until he turned over the envelope and saw the oh so familiar writing.

He gulped. It wasn't the first time he had had one of these letters though it was the first since arriving back at school and now he understood;

America was calling indeed.

"Shit! Shit shit shit" Theo chanted before he stood up and threw the unopened letter into the thankfully already lit fire and they both watched it burn.

"I didn't think he would...how could he...how is he doing this? Why?"

"He's done this before?" Hermione asked after she watched her boyfriend scream at the flames of the open fire.

"Twice. I've never opened them. I don't want to. Bugger can rot for all I care."

"Maybe you should tell the aurors?"

Theo sighed because he knew she was right and he had promised himself that if a third turned up he would go to the Ministry but he had just burnt the evidence. Again.

Hermione walked over to the kitchen and poured them each a glass of Firewhiskey, she pulled Theo into her arms and only in doing so did she notice his trembling body, she had known this letter wouldn't be good for him but she couldn't hide it from him either; she realised she loved him too much to do that.

Merlin, she realised she _loved him._

She realised she always had.

As Theo automatically relaxed against Hermione's body, Hermione held on to him more tightly, wishing away all the bad memories she knew he was reliving just from seeing those two words in that familiar script, wishing she could give Rowley Nott a piece of her mind but instead she kissed him, she kissed him as if she could kiss away those unhappy memories and bring back better ones and she hoped to Circe that neither of them relived another awful nightmare that night with memories of a man she would gladly kill if she ever saw again.

A/N Please go and read America's Calling by TheGoldenTrioJKS


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